DFB Pokal Preview | 3 things to look out for | OneFootball

It’s the second round of the DFB Pokal this Tuesday and Wednesday. This round is treating us to an East Derby, all Bundesliga ties, and one fourth division side looking to go one further. This is your one-stop shop for all DFB Pokal fixtures as well as three things to look out for. 

3 Things to Look Out For

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Borussia Dortmund – On Tuesday, two Bundesliga heavyweights will go head-to-head with one bowing out at a stage they would have thought was impossible. Frankfurt have had their defensive worries this season, particularly when it comes to playing in midweek (every Champions League game this season involving Frankfurt has ended 5-1, one for and two against). 

Now, Frankfurt did manage a clean sheet last weekend against St. Pauli, which will give them a boost, but BVB are a different beast. Expect both teams to make changes, but this should still be an exciting game with both teams having realistic chances of going all the way in this year’s Pokal. 

Jonathan Burkardt could start again for Frankfurt, having notched a brace last weekend. For BVB, Fabio Silva could be given his first start, having scored against Copenhagen last week in the Champions League. 

East Derby –  Also on Tuesday, we are being treated to an all-East Germany derby as 3. Liga leaders Energie Cottbus host Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig. 

Of course, Leipzig will be firm favourites for this one, but with Cottbus going strong in the third division, a sell-out home crowd, and the magic of the cup… anything can happen! Leipzig are in fantastic form right now, and without European football, they’ll be aiming to try and win the Pokal with little distraction. I’m still expecting Ole Werner to rotate more than Cottbus, who will have to go more full-strength in order to pull off a great cup upset. 

If Cottbus can get to halftime level, this could be the shock of the round. 

El Mala vs Lennart Karl – On Wednesday evening, FC Köln host Bayern Munich, who have won every match in all competitions so far this season. 

Köln have had a solid start to the season themselves, currently sitting in 8th position. Whilst this should still be a cracking game, two people to watch out for are FC Köln’s 19-year-old winger, Said El Mala, and Bayern Munich’s 17-year-old attacking midfielder, Lennart Karl. El Mala has been in sensational form this season and attracted interest from Bayern, Inter, and PSG. Likewise, Karl became Germany’s youngest ever goalscorer in the Champions League last week and followed it up with his first Bundesliga goal against Gladbach. If both of these start, they’ll definitely be the ones to watch. 

Fixtures Preview

A reminder that some fixtures in this round are available to watch for free via the DFB YouTube Channel as well as the DFB Play app. The DFB Play app and website are also showing the “DFB Pokal Zone,” which takes you around the grounds as the goals go in. 

Tuesday Night: 

Hertha Berlin (2. Bundesliga) vs SV Elversberg (2. Bundesliga)

VfL Wolfsburg (Bundesliga) vs Holstein Kiel (2. Bundesliga)

FC Heidenheim (Bundesliga) vs Hamburger SV (Bundesliga) 

Eintracht Frankfurt (Bundesliga) vs Borussia Dortmund (Bundesliga) 

FC St. Pauli (Bundesliga) vs TSG Hoffenheim (Bundesliga) 

Borussia Mönchengladbach (Bundesliga) vs Karlsruher (2. Bundesliga) 

Energie Cottbus (3. Liga) vs RB Leipzig (Bundesliga) 

FC Augsburg (Bundesliga) vs VfL Bochum (2. Bundesliga)

Wednesday Night: 

Paderborn (2. Bundesliga) vs Bayer Leverkusen (Bundesliga) 

Greuther Fürth (2. Bundesliga) vs FC Kaiserslautern (2. Bundesliga) 

FV Illertissen (Regionalliga Bayern) vs FC Magdeburg (2. Bundesliga)

Mainz 05 (Bundesliga) vs VfB Stuttgart (Bundesliga)

Darmstadt (2. Bundesliga) vs Schalke 04 (2. Bundesliga) 

Union Berlin (Bundesliga) vs Arminia Bielefeld (2. Bundesliga) 

FC Köln (Bundesliga) vs Bayern Munich (Bundesliga)

Fortuna Düsseldorf (2. Bundesliga) vs SC Freiburg (Bundesliga) 

GGFN | Jamie Allen