SV Elversberg head coach Vincent Wagner was ready for a hot bath following Saturday afternoon’s extraordinary 4-3 Bundesliga victory over FC Augsburg. The Saarland newcomers survived seven goals, four awarded penalties, repeated VAR interventions, and a frantic conclusion to secure their third league victory of the season.

Wagner and his players struggled to make sense of the afternoon’s events, while Augsburg midfielder Robin Fellhauer expressed considerable frustration with the officiating. The match literally left the footballers involved in it unsure of what had just transpired.

Four penalties, seven goals, and a first-half VAR controversy

Elversberg raced into a 2-0 lead inside seven minutes. Lukas Petkov initially saw his fourth-minute penalty saved by Augsburg keeper Finn Dahmen, but reacted quickly enough to convert the rebound. Lasse Günther doubled the advantage three minutes later, finishing off a rapid counterattack created by Maurice Krattenmacher.

Felix Keidel’s corner then found Maximilian Rohr, whose glancing header established a seemingly comfortable 3-0 lead in the 28th minute. Augsburg, however, refused to disappear. The visitors repeatedly threatened the Elversberg goal before benefiting from a particularly controversial VAR intervention deep into first-half stoppage time.

Marius Wolf fired an effort toward goal following an Augsburg corner in the sixth minute of added time. Elversberg defender Rohr deflected the shot over the crossbar with his hand, but referee Florian Exner initially declined to award a penalty.

What followed was one of the afternoon’s strangest refereeing sequences. The video assistant initially confirmed Exner’s decision not to award a penalty. With play still awaiting a restart, however, the officials revisited the incident and belatedly summoned Exner to the pitchside monitor. The referee eventually reversed his original decision and awarded Augsburg a spot kick.

The prolonged review prompted an exasperated reaction from DAZN commentator Oliver Forster, who questioned why the video officials had taken so long to recommend an on-field review.

“How long does the guy in the VAR room need? Then send [the referee] out!” Forster exclaimed during the broadcast.

The commentator continued to express disbelief at the delay, protesting that the relevant contact had already been visible in the initial television replay. He particularly objected to the amount of time that elapsed before the referee was finally instructed to review the footage.

“Minutes later!” Forster complained, eventually describing the handling of the incident as “a step backward for refereeing.”

Fabian Rieder eventually converted the penalty in the ninth minute of first-half stoppage time, reducing Augsburg’s deficit to 3-1 with virtually the final action before the interval.

Late VAR reversals and a frantic finish

Augsburg coach Manuel Baum responded with three halftime substitutions and a switch to a back four. The visitors initially struggled to establish any consistent attacking rhythm, but substitute Michael Gregoritsch eventually reduced the deficit further. The Austrian striker converted another penalty in the 76th minute after Elversberg defender Lukas Pinckert fouled Hennes Behrens inside the area.

Augsburg suddenly found themselves within one goal of completing an extraordinary comeback. Elversberg appeared to have provided an immediate response when substitute Raif Adam scored shortly after entering the match in the 79th minute. His celebrations were ultimately cut short, however, as another VAR intervention examined a marginal offside position.

The review continued into the 81st minute before the goal was disallowed.

And the video assistant was far from finished.

Augsburg were initially awarded another penalty in the 86th minute following an apparent Elversberg handball inside the area. Exner again pointed to the spot, seemingly giving the visitors a golden opportunity to complete their comeback.

Yet another review followed. This time, the referee was summoned to the monitor and subsequently rescinded the penalty after the footage established that the ball had struck Augsburg’s own Michael Gregoritsch rather than an Elversberg defender.

The decision took approximately two minutes to resolve. Instead of Augsburg preparing to take a potentially equalizing penalty, Elversberg were suddenly back on the attack. Frederik Schmahl finally made it 4-2 in the 89th minute, converting Petkov’s cutback from close range. Augsburg immediately responded through Mert Kömür, who scored in the 90th minute to make it 4-3.

There was still time for another spot kick.

Elversberg substitute Noel Futkeu won a penalty against Calvin Brackelmann in stoppage time but struck the crossbar with his effort in the 98th minute.

Four penalties had been awarded and taken, with another initially given to Augsburg before being overturned. Seven different players had scored across an afternoon that scarcely allowed anyone involved an opportunity to catch their breath.

Vincent Wagner forced to keep assessment simple

Asked by Sky Germany what he liked most about his team’s performance, Wagner offered a characteristically straightforward response.

“The fact that we scored one more goal than our opponents,” Wagner replied. “It’s that simple. When it comes to the subject of playing football with love and passion, we’re well ahead. When it comes to cleverness, there’s plenty of room for improvement. That will be punished repeatedly in this league and we were also a little lucky today.”

Elversberg players struggle to comprehend extraordinary victory

Wagner wasn’t the only member of the Elversberg camp who appeared overwhelmed by the afternoon. Günther, scorer of the hosts’ second goal, openly admitted that he needed to watch the match again to understand precisely what had happened.

“I myself don’t know everything that happened,” Elversberg defender Lasse Günther remarked in his DAZN interview. “I have to watch the highlights on television because so much happened that I forgot half of it. Were we up 3-0?”

Petkov, who both opened the scoring and supplied the assist for Schmahl’s eventual winner, offered an equally bewildered assessment.

“We allowed craziness to creep in,” Lukas Petkov said in his DAZN interview. “It was wild. I couldn’t tell up from down or figure out what the hell was going on.”

Such comments seemed entirely appropriate for a match in which neither side appeared particularly interested in providing the spectators with a quiet afternoon.

Robin Fellhauer criticizes VAR interruptions

Augsburg midfielder Robin Fellhauer was considerably less amused. The 28-year-old, who left Elversberg for Augsburg in the summer of 2025, returned to face his former club just one week after scoring the fastest goal in Bundesliga history against Bayern Munich.

This time, Fellhauer found himself on the losing side of another memorable encounter. The former Elversberg captain was particularly annoyed by the repeated interventions from the video assistant and the lengthy interruptions to the match.

“I’ve never experienced a game like that,” Augsburg’s Robin Fellhauer remarked in his DAZN interview. “There was rarely a decision that was made on the pitch without help from outside. I should be careful about what I say next. Everybody has their bad days. It does take the flow out of the game when there are so many interruptions. First it was no, then it was yes. It takes the rhythm out of the game.”

Fellhauer’s frustration was understandable given the number of interruptions and reversals. Augsburg had come within touching distance of completing an extraordinary comeback, only to leave the Saarland empty-handed.

Elversberg, meanwhile, could celebrate another memorable chapter in their remarkable Bundesliga adventure.

Wagner’s team have now defeated Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Mönchengladbach, and Augsburg in their opening six Bundesliga matches. Two of those victories have come by the improbable scoreline of 4-3.

The Elversberg trainer, however, had rather modest plans for the rest of his evening.

“I’m completely exhausted,” Wagner told his Sky interviewer when asked about all the VAR decisions in the game. “I just want to take a hot bath and watch the Bayern game in peace. I’ll be with my kids tonight. It doesn’t get much better than that.”