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Goalkeeper Frank Rost saved two penalties in a shootout to steer Hamburg past Fortuna Duesseldorf in the German Cup first round.

Hamburg won the shootout 4-1 after the teams had remained locked at 3-3 after extra time, hosts Fortuna scoring a last gasp equaliser with a deflected shot by Andreas Lambertz.

Cup first rounds are tricky for Bundesliga clubs as the seeding system pits them away against lower league teams in one-leg ties.

Croatia international Mladen Petric fired Hamburg into the lead after four minutes but Oliver Fink levelled with a near post tap-in seven minutes later.

Fortuna, Bundesliga regulars in the 1970s and 80s who won promotion to the second division last season, went 2-1 up in the 16th with an own goal by Hamburg defender Jerome Boateng.

Brazilian Ze Roberto almost equalised with a powerful shot from inside in the box after a solo run but was denied by Fortuna keeper Michael Melka's spectacular save in the 53rd minute.

However, a minute later Ze Roberto set up Piotr Trochowski, who hit the target from 18 metres to take the match into extra time.

Hamburg looked to have won it when Trochowski converted a 95th-minute penalty, awarded when Jonathan Pitroipa was brought down, before determined Fortuna came back in the last minute to force penalties.

Rost saved two of them, allowing Marcell Jansen to seal Hamburg's victory with a low, well-struck spot kick.

Reuters