Underdog or big name? Who RB Leipzig could face

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RB Leipzig

·5 June 2026

Underdog or big name? Who RB Leipzig could face

"Sandhausen made life difficult for us,” admitted captain David Raum after RB Leipzig had to dig deep to get past the Regionalliga side last season, eventually winning 4-2. “The cup writes its own rules, as we often say."

Fortunately, we have only fallen foul of that unpredictability twice, and both occasions were a while ago now. RBL were knocked out in the first round in 2013/14, losing 2-0 to Augsburg, and again in 2016/17 after a 5-4 defeat on penalties in Dresden. The aim for the new season is clear. As two-time DFB-Pokal winners, we not only want to reach the second round for the 10th year in a row, but make it back to the final in Berlin.

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We will find out where that journey begins this weekend, with the draw taking place on Saturday from 18:00 CEST. One thing is already certain: we will not be heading to Sandhausen for a third time. SVS have not qualified for this season’s DFB-Pokal.

From Braunschweig to Rhynern: possible RBL opponents

The 64-team field is made up of all Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 clubs, the four highest-placed sides from the 3. Liga, 21 regional cup winners and three further teams from the regional associations with the highest number of clubs in competitive football. RB Leipzig are one of 32 sides in the seeded pot, meaning we will be drawn against one of the 32 teams in the unseeded pot.

The unseeded pot includes Bundesliga 2 clubs Eintracht Braunschweig and Greuther Fürth, as well as some big names from the third tier such as Fortuna Düsseldorf, who were relegated from Bundesliga 2, MSV Duisburg and Rot-Weiss Essen, who we beat 4-1 in the first round in 2024/25.

There could also be some intriguing regional ties against Energie Cottbus, Hansa Rostock, Hallescher FC, Carl Zeiss Jena or Erzgebirge Aue. 1. FC Magdeburg and Dynamo Dresden are in pot one with us as Bundesliga 2 clubs, so they cannot face RBL in the first round.

Less familiar opponents could include VfB Krieschow from the NOFV-Oberliga Süd, SV Hemelingen from the Bremenliga, SC St. Tönis from the Oberliga Niederrhein or SV Westfalia Rhynern from the Oberliga Westfalen.

Former referee Deniz Aytekin to conduct the draw

We will find out where we are heading this Saturday, 6th June, when the first-round ties are drawn live on ARD’s Sportschau from 18:00 CEST. Deniz Aytekin will conduct the draw at the German Football Museum in Dortmund.

Aytekin, recently named DFB Referee of the Year, only brought his refereeing career to an end a short time ago. Anyone unable to watch the draw live will be kept fully up to date across our channels.