Other than having a cool name, Daniel Batz is now a cult-hero, goalkeeping extraordinaire and penalty expert. The 29-year-old is the first-choice shot-stopper for Saarbrücken, and he is currently leading them to glory in the Regionalliga Südwest.
He’s also picked up two yellow cards this season, so we can only assume he’s probably a bit of a nutter, too. Anyway, back to the matter at hand.
Fortuna looked set to break Saarbrücken hearts with their late penalty, but Batz flung himself low to his right-hand side and parried the spot-kick. But the real kick in the nadd
He’s also picked up two yellow cards this season, so we can only assume he’s probably a bit of a nutter, too. Anyway, back to the matter at hand.
Fortuna looked set to break Saarbrücken hearts with their late penalty, but Batz flung himself low to his right-hand side and parried the spot-kick. But the real kick in the nads was still to come.
The visitors bagged a 90th-minute equaliser and, to the despair of the home crowd, forced extra-time. But maybe this was Batz’s-finking along. The 30 minutes of additional time passed without a break in the deadlock, and so, it was shootout time.
The ultimate tear-jerker for any underdog.
The newly-crowned ‘king of the spot-kicks’ had other plans, however. Batz saved a gobsmacking four penalties in the shootout, first parrying with his legs before brilliantly tipping the second onto the post down to his left.
Batz then kept out another shot to his right, before facing up to the decisive penalty. A save would put Saarbrücken through to the semi-final of the German Cup. No pressure.
