Big names at risk? These DFB-Pokal ties could see shock upsets | OneFootball

Big names at risk? These DFB-Pokal ties could see shock upsets | OneFootball

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·15 August 2025

Big names at risk? These DFB-Pokal ties could see shock upsets

Article image:Big names at risk? These DFB-Pokal ties could see shock upsets

Year after year, some Bundesliga teams fail in the first round of the cup against lower-class teams. And if you're honest: it's quite fun to watch - as long as your own team isn't affected.


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Before the first round of the DFB Cup kicks off this evening at 6 pm, we took a look at where the favorites might have a tough time in the coming days.

It's going to be tough in Bielefeld. Arminia made it to the cup final last season and is almost unbeatable at home. Additionally, the guests from Bremen have shown often enough that they can be beaten early in the cup. Just two years ago, Werder was eliminated in the first round against Viktoria Köln (2:3). Last year, they were knocked out in the quarterfinals - you can guess against whom.

The journey continues to Pirmasens. Here, the Oberligist faces Hamburger SV on Saturday at 1 pm. After the Rothosen finally achieved promotion last season, it's about time for some typical HSV chaos. You should definitely tune in for this one.

On paper, it's a very clear matter, but if it weren't, this game wouldn't have made it into this text. Illertissen is only a Regionalligist and a huge underdog, but Nürnberg started the season with two losses and hasn't found its rhythm yet. Can they use the cup game to turn things around or will they go into crisis mode?

Just like the game between Regensburg and Köln. The FC already failed in the first round of the cup at Jahn three years ago. After a mediocre game, the Kölner lost 5:6 on penalties. Hopefully, coach Lukas Kwasniok has practiced penalty kicks again.

Off to the highway to Essen. Here's a special game on the schedule. On Monday evening, RWE faces Borussia Dortmund at 8:45 pm. The fact that it's a derby already makes it a slippery affair. A quick goal from Rot-Weiß and over 16,000 home fans at Hafenstraße on their back - the BVB could quickly start to tremble.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.


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