Jamaica international Leon Bailey put the Bundesliga team ahead in the 105th minute of the last-16 tie, but Essen levelled soon after with a goal from Oguzhan Kefkir.

Unbeaten since 1 February 2020, Simon Engelmann scored the winner for Essen on 117 minutes as the lowest-ranked team left in the competition claimed another scalp after wins over Arminia Bielefeld and second-tier Fortuna Dusseldorf in previous rounds.

Essen, second to Borussia Dortmund's reserves in the Regionalliga West, won the German Cup in 1952-1953, the first edition of the tournament after World War II.

Bundesliga 2 side Holstein Kiel, which knocked out holder Bayern Munich in the last round on penalties, outlasted Darmstadt 7-6 in another shootout after its match finish in a 1-1 draw.