The 2019/20 DFB-Pokal season begins on Friday evening. 64 teams all chasing one goal: a grand finale at Berlin’s Olympiastadion on 23rd May 2020. DFB.de presents all the key stats and facts on the 18 ties involving semi-pro clubs.
Alemannia Aachen vs. Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Kick-off: Saturday, 15.30 CEST
Second cup meeting: The only previous DFB-Pokal meeting between the two sides came in the second round in 2000/01, when then second-tier Alemannia were beaten 2-1 by Bundesliga outfit Leverkusen. Indeed, Bayer 04 have won each of the last five matches against Aachen, having only won one of the first six fixtures between the two sides.
Welcome back: Alemannia Aachen return to the DFB-Pokal for the first time in seven years, after beating Fortuna Köln 3-1 in the Mittelrheinpokal. Their last cup tie came in 2012 against neighbours Borussia Mönchengladbach – a 2-0 first round defeat.
Second round regulars: Bayer 04 have progressed from the first round in each of the last seven seasons – their last defeat coming in a 4-3 thriller against second division Dynamo Dresden. Leverkusen have never been eliminated by a team below the 3. Liga.
Old home: Germany international Kai Havertz, Leverkusen‘s young star who amassed 17 Bundesliga goals last season, was born in Aachen in 1999 and spent the 2009/2010 season in the Alemannia academy before joining Leverkusen.
TuS Dassendorf vs. SG Dynamo Dresden
Kick-off: Saturday, 15:30 CEST
"Away game": Hamburg-based side TuS Dassendorf will not play their first-round tie at their home stadium at Wendelweg, but instead at Westsachsen, the home of FSV Zwickau. The TuS fans must travel 340km to the game, while Dresden supporters – who have a fan friendship with FSV Zwickau, ‘only’ have a 120km trip.
Deja-vu: This isn’t the first time Dresden have played a first-round away match in Zwickau – back in 2017 they faced ‘home side’ TuS Koblenz, whose own stadium was being renovated, in Zwickau. Dresden edged past their fourth-tier opponents 3-2.
Cup crown defended: TuS Dassendorf defended their Hamburger Pokal crown on 21st May, beating Eintracht Norderstedt 2-1, thus qualifying for the DFB-Pokal for a second consecutive season. Last year they were beaten 1-0 by Duisburg in the first round.
FC 08 Villingen vs. Fortuna Düsseldorf
Kick-off: Saturday, 15:30 CEST
Milestone appearance: FC 08 Villingen enter the DFB-Pokal for the tenth time, after beating Rielasingen-Arlen 3-1 in the Südbaden-Pokal final in May. However, the club founded in 1908 has never reached the second round, losing all of their nine matches in the competition.
Unprecedented: Nine participations without progressing once from the first round is a record no other team in DFB-Pokal history can match. Should Villingen lose a tenth consecutive match, they will equal Werder Bremen II’s record (between 1987 and 1998).
Unlikely cup-set?: Only one team from below the fourth tier has ever knocked a Bundesliga team out of the DFB-Pokal, in 84 attempts: SSV Ulm 1846 beat 1. FC Nürnberg 2-1 in the first round in 2001/02.
SV Drochtersen/Assel vs: FC Schalke 04
Kick-off: Saturday, 15:30 CEST
Narrow defeat: Schalke beware! SV Drochtersen/Assel were only just beaten 1-0 in each of their last two cup ties against Gladbach and Bayern.
Third cup triumph: Drochtersen/Assel qualified for the DFB-Pokal for the third time in four seasons after once again winning the Niedersachsenpokal. They beat SV Meppen 1-0.
Dugout debut: The cup match will be Schalke head coach David Wagner’s first competitive fixture in charge of the Royal Blues. Wagner most recently took charge of relegated Premier League club Huddersfield Town between November 2015 and January 2019.
Smooth sailing Schalke: Schalke have lost just one of their last 27 first-round fixtures since 1990/91: a 2-1 defeat to 3. Liga side Dynamo Dresden in 2014/15. Furthermore, since the formation of the Bundesliga in 1963/64. Schalke have never been eliminated by a team not in the top three tiers. They have won each of their 21 duels against fourth semi-professional teams.
SC Verl vs. FC Augsburg
Kick-off: Saturday, 15:30 CEST
Last in the hat: Verl beat TuS Haltern 3-1 to become the last team to qualify for this season’s DFB-Pokal – their first participation since 2010 when they were beaten 2-1 by 1860 München. This is the sixth time they’ll feature in the competition, in which they reached the third round in 1979/80 (7-1 defeat to Stuttgarter Kickers).
Strong 2018/19 performance: Last season’s quarter-final exit (2-1 aet vs. Leipzig) represented FCA’s second-best performance in their DFB-Pokal history. Only once in 2009/10 did they go one round further.
Pitch to dugout: Now coach Guerino Capretti featured as a player the last time Verl played in the DFB-Pokal in 2010/11. The German-Italian has been at the SC helm since April 2017, but played for the club as a centre back between 2010 and 2015.
FC Viktoria 1889 Berlin vs. DSC Arminia Bielefeld
Kick-off: Saturday, 15.30 CEST
Second time lucky?: Viktoria Berlin feature in the DFB-Pokal for the second. Their last appearance saw them beaten 2-0 by Eintracht Frankfurt in the first round in 2014/15. The then fourth-tier side qualified for this year’s competition after beating Tennis Borussia Berlin 1-0 in the Berliner Landespokal final.
Shootout record: Bielefeld progressed past Astoria Walldorf on penalties from the round of 16 in 2016/17, a DFB-Pokal record-equalling sixth shootout win. Only FC Bayern match this record (2002-2015. Their last shootout defeat came at the hands of St Pauli in 2003.
Kick-off: Saturday, 15:30 CEST
Eastern derby: In the first round of the Pokal FSV Wacker 90 Nordhausen from Thüringen will meet FC Erzgebirge Aue from Sachsen in an eastern derby, the first meeting between these two clubs for over 21 years. Back in February 1998 Nordhausen held Aue to a 2-2 draw in the Regionalliga Nordost, with Aue winning the previous game 1-0 in Nordhausen.
22 years: Nordhausen qualified for the DFB-Pokal as the Thüringen Landespokal winners for the first time since the 1997/1998 season. The Thuringians had achieved qualification three times throughout the 1990s, however ultimately falling to defeat their Bundesliga opposition in the first round on each occasion.
First-round curse: Erzgebirge Au failed to make it past the first round in each of the past three seasons. Their last victory in this round came in the 2015/16 season, when they managed to reach the Round of 16 – the biggest cup success in the club’s history.
KSV Baunatal vs. VFL Bochum
Kick-off: Saturday, 18:30 CEST
32 years: KSV Baunatal are taking part in the DFB-Pokal for the first time since 1987 (first round exit against Ulm). The Hessenliga outfit reached the final of the Landespokal against Wehen Wiesbaden, rescheduled from the 25th May to the 25th June due to the relegation play-offs. The newly promoted Second division side were the clear winners in the final with a convincing 8-1 victory over Baunatal. However, since SVWW had already qualified for the Pokal after finishing in third, Baunatal were also awarded a place in the competition.
Streak: Since the founding of the Bundesliga, VfL Bochum have met a fifth-tier side three times, each time progressing to the next round, with the most recent victory coming in the 2017/18 season against Nöttingen (5-2).
A long time in the lower leagues: Following Union Berlin’s first ever promotion to the Bundesliga, VfL Bochum are now the longest serving team in the Bundesliga 2. The Revier club were relegated from the Bundesliga in 2010 and they are now entering their tenth consecutive season in the second division.
SSV Ulm 1846 Fußball vs. 1. FC Heidenheim
Kick-off: Saturday, 18:30 CEST
Pokal debut: Ulm and Heidenheim meet in the DFB-Pokal for the first ever time. The last time Heidenheim faced SSV Ulm Fußball was in the Semi-final of the württembergische Landespokal in 2014 – The side from Brenzstädt were 2-0 winners in Ulm and eventually went on to win the Pokal (with a 4-2 victory over the Stuttgarter Kickers in the final).
Derby time: This First Round draw is a Swabian derby – both towns are only separated by roughly 33Km, as the crow flies.
Another Cup-set? After Ulm’s first appearance in the Pokal last year since the 2001/2002 season, they have now achieved their second successive qualification through the wüttermbergische Landespokal. The Ulmers pulled off a fantastic feat in the First Round last season, knocking out the holders Eintracht Frankfurt with a 2-1 victory. However they were unable to progress any further than the Second Round, falling to a 5-1 defeat at the hands of Furtuna Düsseldorf.
End of the streak: Out of their five matches, FC Heidenheim have never been eliminated by a team in a lower division. However one of their impressive runs came to an end with a 5-4 defeat at FC Bayern: Previously, the Heidhamer had been unbeaten for seven consecutive Pokal away games. Other than the narrow defeat at Bayern, the Second Division side’s only other away defeat came in the Second Round of the 2014/15 season at VFL Wolfsburg (4-1)
Atlas Delmenhorst vs. SV Werder Bremen
Kick-off: Saturday, 20:45 CEST
For the second time: SV Atlas Delmenhorst became the Nidersachsenpokal winners on the 25th May against TuS Bersenbrück (3-2 in Hannover), achieving qualification for the DFB-Pokal. It is the Lower Saxony Oberliga side’s first appearance in the competition since 1980/81, when they reached the last 16 as a 3. Liga side (6-1 defeat at Borussia Mönchengladbach).
Home from home: This will be Delmenhorst’s biggest occasion for over 39 years. The Oberliga club is renting their opponent’s home ground for the tie, but Atlas Delmenhorst will remain as the formal ‘home team’, due to a change of home and away rights being against DFB statutes.
Just around the corner: Only a rough 20 minute drive (15 Km) separates Bremen and Delmenhorst – the shortest distance between any two towns in the First Round of the Pokal. And a true Delmenhorster will even be sitting in the Werder dugout – Florian Kohfeldt grew up there and played for the local TV Jahn.
Bundesliga – “First”: Bremen have been eliminated in the First Round twelve times as a Bundesliga club, no other top-flight side has ever been knocked out more times in the opening stage – bitter rivals Hamburger SV have also experienced twelve First Round eliminations. The most recent of these came three years ago as they fell to a shock 1-2 defeat at 3. Liga side Sportfreunde Lotte.
FSV Salmrohr vs. Holstein Kiel
Kick-off: Sunday, 15:30 CEST
Huge underdogs: FSV Salmrohr is the only sixth tier side taking part in the 2019/20 DFB-Pokal and therefore the lowest rated side out of all the 64 teams. The Rheinlandliga outfit became Rheinlandpokal champions after a dramatic final against Oberliga side TuS Koblenz, winning 6-5 on penalties.
Fifth time lucky?: FSV Salmrohr have qualified for the DFB-Pokal for the 13th time. They failed to make it past the First Round in each of their last 4 attempts. The nine-time Rheinland Cup winner last reached the Second Round in 1994/95 as a 3. Liga side.
Guaranteed goals: Since the formation of the Bundesliga, Kiel have met either a third or lower division side seven times and scored at least 3 goals on each occasion.
Germania Halberstadt vs. 1. FC Union Berlin
Kick-off: Sunday, 15:30 CEST
Firstly the second team, now the first team: Halberstadt and Union are meeting in a competitive fixture for the first time. Germania have played against Union’s second team six times in the Regionalliga (two wins, two draws, two losses).
Slip-up: Regionalliga side Germania Halberstadt qualified for the DFB-Pokal through the Landespokal. Despite falling to a 2-0 defeat in the final against Halle, Germania were still awarded a place in the First Round since 3. Liga side Halle already held a DFB-Pokal qualification slot through finishing 4th in the third division.
Fear of the Regionalliga: Union have recently struggled against Regionalliga teams: The Berlin side have been knocked out in three out of their last five cup games against fourth division teams, requiring extra time for both victories (most recently in the First Round in Saarbrücken in 2017/18).
Goals, goals, goals: Union’s recent Pokal games have been real goal-fests at both ends of the field: Union have scored at least once in each of their last eight cup games, a current club record. However, they also haven’t had a clean sheet in nine Pokal games, with the most recent coming in a 1-0 win over Osnabrück in September 2013 – a negative club record.
SV Rödinghausen vs. SC Paderborn 07
Kick-off: Sunday, 15:30 CEST
Fond memories: Rödinghausen and Paderborn are meeting each other for the first time in a competitive match. In January 2018, then 3. Liga side Paderborn ran out 3-0 winners in a winter break friendly in Rödighausen. Four months later, Steffen Baumgart’s team was promoted to Bundesliga 2.
Recent cup history: Having won the first Westfalen-Pokal 2-1 against Wiedenbrück, SV Rödinghausen are taking part in the DFB-Pokal for the second time. The Regionalliga side’s first appearance in 2018/19 was quite successful. Rödinghausen won 3-2 against Dynamo Dresden in the first DFB-Pokal match in the club’s history. In the second round, they had a dream tie against FC Bayern München and narrowly lost 2-1 against the eventual tournament winners.
A club record beckons: After five years out of the top flight, SC Paderborn are once again starting the tournament as a Bundesliga team and could set a club record. After their 2-1 victory against Sandhausen in the first round of the 2017/18 DFB-Pokal, and a 2-1 win against Ingolstadt in last year’s opening round, the side from Ostwestfalen could reach the second round of the tournament three years running for the first time in the club’s history.
FC Oberneuland vs. SV Darmstadt 98
Kick-off: Sunday, 15:30 CEST
Eighth appearance: On 25th May, FC Oberneuland beat Bremer SV 1-0 to win the Bremer Landespokal, allowing them to compete in the DFB-Pokal for the first time since 2012 and for the eighth time overall.
A sole second-round appearance: In Oberneuland’s previous seven attempts, they have managed to make it through to the second round of the tournament just once, namely in 2008. After defeating TuS Koblenz in the first round via a penalty shootout, the then fourth-tier side stood no chance in a 7-0 loss to Wolfsburg, the eventual Bundesliga champions that season.
Good against the fifth tier: In 2016/17, SV Darmstadt made it to the second round of the DFB-Pokal but lost 1-0 to FC Astoria Walldorf, a semi-professional club from the fourth tier. Nevertheless, Darmstadt can go into Sunday’s match feeling confident having won all three of their previous meetings with fifth-tier sides.
1. FC Saarbrücken vs. SSV Jahn Regensburg
Kick-off: Sunday, 15:30 CEST
Balanced head-to-head record: Saarbrücken and Regensburg are preparing to face each other for the first time in the DFB-Pokal. Since the founding of the Bundesliga, the teams have met ten times in competitive matches and the head-to-head record is evenly balanced with three wins each and four draws.
Tournament regulars: 1. FC Saarbrücken have featured in the DFB-Pokal a total of 46 times, their most recent appearance being in 2017/18 (a first-round exit against Union Berlin). In 2013/14, FCS caused a major upset when they defeated Werder Bremen 3-1 and were ultimately knocked out in the round of 16 in a 2-0 loss to Dortmund.
Tricky first round: Regensburg have been knocked out of the tournament in the first round in eight of their last nine appearances. Their 3-1 victory over Darmstadt in 2017/18 is the only time in that period that they have progressed to the second round, where they lost 5-2 to Heidenheim.
History of conceding: In seven away games in the DFB-Pokal, Regensburg have only progressed once – in the second round against SSVg Velbert in 2003/04, where they won 2-1. In 28 DFB-Pokal games, they have kept just one clean sheet, which came from a 1-0 victory against Eintracht Braunschweig in the first round in 1970. Regensburg have conceded at least one goal in each of their 21 cup games since then, the longest run without a clean sheet of all the teams in the 2019/20 DFB-Pokal.
VfB Lübeck vs. FC St. Pauli
Kick-off: Sunday, 15:30 CEST
Not the first Pokal encounter: The game between VfB Lübeck and FC St. Pauli at the Lohmühle marks something of a northern derby (Lübeck to Hamburg is just an hour’s drive). The fixture is a repeat of the 2016/17 first-round match-up in Lübeck, which St Pauli won 3-0, thereby avenging their 3-2 defeat after extra time at home back in 2003/04.
Winning en route to the semis: VfB Lübeck won their first DFB-Pokal clash against St. Pauli in the second round in 2003/04 at the Millerntor Stadium 3-2 after it went to extra time. The then Bundesliga 2 side then marched all the way to the semi-finals, where they lost 3-2 in extra-time to the eventual cup winners Werder Bremen.
Golden Jubilee: This season, FC St. Pauli are making their 50th appearance in the DFB-Pokal (including the Tschammerpokal).
Homecoming: St Pauli’s Ersin Zehir was born in Lübeck and played in VfB’s youth setup from 2007 to 2014, before joining FC St. Pauli’s academy.
VfB Eichstätt vs. Hertha BSC
Kick-off: Sunday, 15:30 CEST
Premiere: Sunday’s match against Hertha Berlin marks VfB Eichstätt’s first competitive match against a professional team and no doubt the biggest day in their history. It is also therefore the first competitive meeting between the these two teams.
Club no. 84: VfB Eichstatt will be playing in their first ever DFB-Pokal campaign and will be the 84th different club from Bavaria to compete in the tournament (not counting the region’s four reserve teams or Viktoria Aschaffenburg, who belonged to the Hesse FA at the time of qualifying).
Newcomers: The Upper Bavarian Regionalliga team are also the only tournament debutants out of all 64 teams that qualified. By comparison, last year saw eight teams make their DFB-Pokal debuts.
Extra-timers: Hertha have gone to extra-time in 52 games in the DFB-Pokal, more than any other team.
Venue: The DFB-Pokal tie will take place at the Audi Sportpark in Ingolstadt. VfB Eichstätt have been there already this summer during pre-season for a friendly against resident side FC Ingolstadt and battled well in the 4-3 defeat. Hertha BSC have also had good experiences in the Audi Sportpark, though: the team from the capital have played against Die Schanzer four times there in the second division and Bundesliga, and remain unbeaten (2 draws in BL2, 2 wins in the BL).
Energie Cottbus vs. FC Bayern München
Kick-off: Monday, 20:45 CEST
Clear record: Energie Cottbus and Bayern München are meeting for the first time in the DFB-Pokal, but thanks to the six seasons Energie Cottbus played in the Bundesliga, there have been a total of twelve matches between the two teams in the past (10 wins for Bayern, 2 wins for Cottbus).
Cup specialist: Bayern’s coach Niko Kovac is an absolute expert when it comes to the DFB-Pokal: in his 18 cup matches as coach he, has prevailed in 17 (3 via penalty shootout), only just losing with Frankfurt in the 2017 final against Dortmund (2-1).
Vestenbergsgreuth anniversary: FC Bayern, whose 2019/20 season marks their 61st in the DFB-Pokal, were last eliminated in the first round of the tournament 25 years ago. On 14th August 1994, Giovanni Trapattoni’s second competitive match in charge ended in a 1-0 defeat to TSV Vestenbergsgreuth.
Goal-getter: Robert Lewandowski fired Bayern into the quarterfinals, the semi-finals and the final with braces in each, winning the tournament almost single-handedly. In DFB-Pokal history, only Gerd Müller has had such a hot streak, finding the back of the net twice in each of the last three rounds of the 1969 tournament.
Strong away from home: With a narrow 3-2 victory over Bremen in last season’s semi-finals, FC Bayern set a new tournament record, having progressed to the next round in their last 30 away games. The last time they were knocked out in an away game was over ten years ago: a quarter-final exit in 2008/09 against Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
The 2019/20 DFB-Pokal season begins on Friday evening. 64 teams all chasing one goal: a grand finale at Berlin’s Olympiastadion on 23rd May 2020. DFB.de presents all the key stats and facts on the 18 ties involving semi-pro clubs.
Alemannia Aachen vs. Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Kick-off: Saturday, 15.30 CEST
Second cup meeting: The only previous DFB-Pokal meeting between the two sides came in the second round in 2000/01, when then second-tier Alemannia were beaten 2-1 by Bundesliga outfit Leverkusen. Indeed, Bayer 04 have won each of the last five matches against Aachen, having only won one of the first six fixtures between the two sides.
Welcome back: Alemannia Aachen return to the DFB-Pokal for the first time in seven years, after beating Fortuna Köln 3-1 in the Mittelrheinpokal. Their last cup tie came in 2012 against neighbours Borussia Mönchengladbach – a 2-0 first round defeat.
Second round regulars: Bayer 04 have progressed from the first round in each of the last seven seasons – their last defeat coming in a 4-3 thriller against second division Dynamo Dresden. Leverkusen have never been eliminated by a team below the 3. Liga.
Old home: Germany international Kai Havertz, Leverkusen‘s young star who amassed 17 Bundesliga goals last season, was born in Aachen in 1999 and spent the 2009/2010 season in the Alemannia academy before joining Leverkusen.
TuS Dassendorf vs. SG Dynamo Dresden
Kick-off: Saturday, 15:30 CEST
"Away game": Hamburg-based side TuS Dassendorf will not play their first-round tie at their home stadium at Wendelweg, but instead at Westsachsen, the home of FSV Zwickau. The TuS fans must travel 340km to the game, while Dresden supporters – who have a fan friendship with FSV Zwickau, ‘only’ have a 120km trip.
Deja-vu: This isn’t the first time Dresden have played a first-round away match in Zwickau – back in 2017 they faced ‘home side’ TuS Koblenz, whose own stadium was being renovated, in Zwickau. Dresden edged past their fourth-tier opponents 3-2.
Cup crown defended: TuS Dassendorf defended their Hamburger Pokal crown on 21st May, beating Eintracht Norderstedt 2-1, thus qualifying for the DFB-Pokal for a second consecutive season. Last year they were beaten 1-0 by Duisburg in the first round.
FC 08 Villingen vs. Fortuna Düsseldorf
Kick-off: Saturday, 15:30 CEST
Milestone appearance: FC 08 Villingen enter the DFB-Pokal for the tenth time, after beating Rielasingen-Arlen 3-1 in the Südbaden-Pokal final in May. However, the club founded in 1908 has never reached the second round, losing all of their nine matches in the competition.
Unprecedented: Nine participations without progressing once from the first round is a record no other team in DFB-Pokal history can match. Should Villingen lose a tenth consecutive match, they will equal Werder Bremen II’s record (between 1987 and 1998).
Unlikely cup-set?: Only one team from below the fourth tier has ever knocked a Bundesliga team out of the DFB-Pokal, in 84 attempts: SSV Ulm 1846 beat 1. FC Nürnberg 2-1 in the first round in 2001/02.
SV Drochtersen/Assel vs: FC Schalke 04
Kick-off: Saturday, 15:30 CEST
Narrow defeat: Schalke beware! SV Drochtersen/Assel were only just beaten 1-0 in each of their last two cup ties against Gladbach and Bayern.
Third cup triumph: Drochtersen/Assel qualified for the DFB-Pokal for the third time in four seasons after once again winning the Niedersachsenpokal. They beat SV Meppen 1-0.
Dugout debut: The cup match will be Schalke head coach David Wagner’s first competitive fixture in charge of the Royal Blues. Wagner most recently took charge of relegated Premier League club Huddersfield Town between November 2015 and January 2019.
Smooth sailing Schalke: Schalke have lost just one of their last 27 first-round fixtures since 1990/91: a 2-1 defeat to 3. Liga side Dynamo Dresden in 2014/15. Furthermore, since the formation of the Bundesliga in 1963/64. Schalke have never been eliminated by a team not in the top three tiers. They have won each of their 21 duels against fourth semi-professional teams.
SC Verl vs. FC Augsburg
Kick-off: Saturday, 15:30 CEST
Last in the hat: Verl beat TuS Haltern 3-1 to become the last team to qualify for this season’s DFB-Pokal – their first participation since 2010 when they were beaten 2-1 by 1860 München. This is the sixth time they’ll feature in the competition, in which they reached the third round in 1979/80 (7-1 defeat to Stuttgarter Kickers).
Strong 2018/19 performance: Last season’s quarter-final exit (2-1 aet vs. Leipzig) represented FCA’s second-best performance in their DFB-Pokal history. Only once in 2009/10 did they go one round further.
Pitch to dugout: Now coach Guerino Capretti featured as a player the last time Verl played in the DFB-Pokal in 2010/11. The German-Italian has been at the SC helm since April 2017, but played for the club as a centre back between 2010 and 2015.
FC Viktoria 1889 Berlin vs. DSC Arminia Bielefeld
Kick-off: Saturday, 15.30 CEST
Second time lucky?: Viktoria Berlin feature in the DFB-Pokal for the second. Their last appearance saw them beaten 2-0 by Eintracht Frankfurt in the first round in 2014/15. The then fourth-tier side qualified for this year’s competition after beating Tennis Borussia Berlin 1-0 in the Berliner Landespokal final.
Shootout record: Bielefeld progressed past Astoria Walldorf on penalties from the round of 16 in 2016/17, a DFB-Pokal record-equalling sixth shootout win. Only FC Bayern match this record (2002-2015. Their last shootout defeat came at the hands of St Pauli in 2003.
Kick-off: Saturday, 15:30 CEST
Eastern derby: In the first round of the Pokal FSV Wacker 90 Nordhausen from Thüringen will meet FC Erzgebirge Aue from Sachsen in an eastern derby, the first meeting between these two clubs for over 21 years. Back in February 1998 Nordhausen held Aue to a 2-2 draw in the Regionalliga Nordost, with Aue winning the previous game 1-0 in Nordhausen.
22 years: Nordhausen qualified for the DFB-Pokal as the Thüringen Landespokal winners for the first time since the 1997/1998 season. The Thuringians had achieved qualification three times throughout the 1990s, however ultimately falling to defeat their Bundesliga opposition in the first round on each occasion.
First-round curse: Erzgebirge Au failed to make it past the first round in each of the past three seasons. Their last victory in this round came in the 2015/16 season, when they managed to reach the Round of 16 – the biggest cup success in the club’s history.
KSV Baunatal vs. VFL Bochum
Kick-off: Saturday, 18:30 CEST
32 years: KSV Baunatal are taking part in the DFB-Pokal for the first time since 1987 (first round exit against Ulm). The Hessenliga outfit reached the final of the Landespokal against Wehen Wiesbaden, rescheduled from the 25th May to the 25th June due to the relegation play-offs. The newly promoted Second division side were the clear winners in the final with a convincing 8-1 victory over Baunatal. However, since SVWW had already qualified for the Pokal after finishing in third, Baunatal were also awarded a place in the competition.
Streak: Since the founding of the Bundesliga, VfL Bochum have met a fifth-tier side three times, each time progressing to the next round, with the most recent victory coming in the 2017/18 season against Nöttingen (5-2).
A long time in the lower leagues: Following Union Berlin’s first ever promotion to the Bundesliga, VfL Bochum are now the longest serving team in the Bundesliga 2. The Revier club were relegated from the Bundesliga in 2010 and they are now entering their tenth consecutive season in the second division.
SSV Ulm 1846 Fußball vs. 1. FC Heidenheim
Kick-off: Saturday, 18:30 CEST
Pokal debut: Ulm and Heidenheim meet in the DFB-Pokal for the first ever time. The last time Heidenheim faced SSV Ulm Fußball was in the Semi-final of the württembergische Landespokal in 2014 – The side from Brenzstädt were 2-0 winners in Ulm and eventually went on to win the Pokal (with a 4-2 victory over the Stuttgarter Kickers in the final).
Derby time: This First Round draw is a Swabian derby – both towns are only separated by roughly 33Km, as the crow flies.
Another Cup-set? After Ulm’s first appearance in the Pokal last year since the 2001/2002 season, they have now achieved their second successive qualification through the wüttermbergische Landespokal. The Ulmers pulled off a fantastic feat in the First Round last season, knocking out the holders Eintracht Frankfurt with a 2-1 victory. However they were unable to progress any further than the Second Round, falling to a 5-1 defeat at the hands of Furtuna Düsseldorf.
End of the streak: Out of their five matches, FC Heidenheim have never been eliminated by a team in a lower division. However one of their impressive runs came to an end with a 5-4 defeat at FC Bayern: Previously, the Heidhamer had been unbeaten for seven consecutive Pokal away games. Other than the narrow defeat at Bayern, the Second Division side’s only other away defeat came in the Second Round of the 2014/15 season at VFL Wolfsburg (4-1)
Atlas Delmenhorst vs. SV Werder Bremen
Kick-off: Saturday, 20:45 CEST
For the second time: SV Atlas Delmenhorst became the Nidersachsenpokal winners on the 25th May against TuS Bersenbrück (3-2 in Hannover), achieving qualification for the DFB-Pokal. It is the Lower Saxony Oberliga side’s first appearance in the competition since 1980/81, when they reached the last 16 as a 3. Liga side (6-1 defeat at Borussia Mönchengladbach).
Home from home: This will be Delmenhorst’s biggest occasion for over 39 years. The Oberliga club is renting their opponent’s home ground for the tie, but Atlas Delmenhorst will remain as the formal ‘home team’, due to a change of home and away rights being against DFB statutes.
Just around the corner: Only a rough 20 minute drive (15 Km) separates Bremen and Delmenhorst – the shortest distance between any two towns in the First Round of the Pokal. And a true Delmenhorster will even be sitting in the Werder dugout – Florian Kohfeldt grew up there and played for the local TV Jahn.
Bundesliga – “First”: Bremen have been eliminated in the First Round twelve times as a Bundesliga club, no other top-flight side has ever been knocked out more times in the opening stage – bitter rivals Hamburger SV have also experienced twelve First Round eliminations. The most recent of these came three years ago as they fell to a shock 1-2 defeat at 3. Liga side Sportfreunde Lotte.
FSV Salmrohr vs. Holstein Kiel
Kick-off: Sunday, 15:30 CEST
Huge underdogs: FSV Salmrohr is the only sixth tier side taking part in the 2019/20 DFB-Pokal and therefore the lowest rated side out of all the 64 teams. The Rheinlandliga outfit became Rheinlandpokal champions after a dramatic final against Oberliga side TuS Koblenz, winning 6-5 on penalties.
Fifth time lucky?: FSV Salmrohr have qualified for the DFB-Pokal for the 13th time. They failed to make it past the First Round in each of their last 4 attempts. The nine-time Rheinland Cup winner last reached the Second Round in 1994/95 as a 3. Liga side.
Guaranteed goals: Since the formation of the Bundesliga, Kiel have met either a third or lower division side seven times and scored at least 3 goals on each occasion.
Germania Halberstadt vs. 1. FC Union Berlin
Kick-off: Sunday, 15:30 CEST
Firstly the second team, now the first team: Halberstadt and Union are meeting in a competitive fixture for the first time. Germania have played against Union’s second team six times in the Regionalliga (two wins, two draws, two losses).
Slip-up: Regionalliga side Germania Halberstadt qualified for the DFB-Pokal through the Landespokal. Despite falling to a 2-0 defeat in the final against Halle, Germania were still awarded a place in the First Round since 3. Liga side Halle already held a DFB-Pokal qualification slot through finishing 4th in the third division.
Fear of the Regionalliga: Union have recently struggled against Regionalliga teams: The Berlin side have been knocked out in three out of their last five cup games against fourth division teams, requiring extra time for both victories (most recently in the First Round in Saarbrücken in 2017/18).
Goals, goals, goals: Union’s recent Pokal games have been real goal-fests at both ends of the field: Union have scored at least once in each of their last eight cup games, a current club record. However, they also haven’t had a clean sheet in nine Pokal games, with the most recent coming in a 1-0 win over Osnabrück in September 2013 – a negative club record.
SV Rödinghausen vs. SC Paderborn 07
Kick-off: Sunday, 15:30 CEST
Fond memories: Rödinghausen and Paderborn are meeting each other for the first time in a competitive match. In January 2018, then 3. Liga side Paderborn ran out 3-0 winners in a winter break friendly in Rödighausen. Four months later, Steffen Baumgart’s team was promoted to Bundesliga 2.
Recent cup history: Having won the first Westfalen-Pokal 2-1 against Wiedenbrück, SV Rödinghausen are taking part in the DFB-Pokal for the second time. The Regionalliga side’s first appearance in 2018/19 was quite successful. Rödinghausen won 3-2 against Dynamo Dresden in the first DFB-Pokal match in the club’s history. In the second round, they had a dream tie against FC Bayern München and narrowly lost 2-1 against the eventual tournament winners.
A club record beckons: After five years out of the top flight, SC Paderborn are once again starting the tournament as a Bundesliga team and could set a club record. After their 2-1 victory against Sandhausen in the first round of the 2017/18 DFB-Pokal, and a 2-1 win against Ingolstadt in last year’s opening round, the side from Ostwestfalen could reach the second round of the tournament three years running for the first time in the club’s history.
FC Oberneuland vs. SV Darmstadt 98
Kick-off: Sunday, 15:30 CEST
Eighth appearance: On 25th May, FC Oberneuland beat Bremer SV 1-0 to win the Bremer Landespokal, allowing them to compete in the DFB-Pokal for the first time since 2012 and for the eighth time overall.
A sole second-round appearance: In Oberneuland’s previous seven attempts, they have managed to make it through to the second round of the tournament just once, namely in 2008. After defeating TuS Koblenz in the first round via a penalty shootout, the then fourth-tier side stood no chance in a 7-0 loss to Wolfsburg, the eventual Bundesliga champions that season.
Good against the fifth tier: In 2016/17, SV Darmstadt made it to the second round of the DFB-Pokal but lost 1-0 to FC Astoria Walldorf, a semi-professional club from the fourth tier. Nevertheless, Darmstadt can go into Sunday’s match feeling confident having won all three of their previous meetings with fifth-tier sides.
1. FC Saarbrücken vs. SSV Jahn Regensburg
Kick-off: Sunday, 15:30 CEST
Balanced head-to-head record: Saarbrücken and Regensburg are preparing to face each other for the first time in the DFB-Pokal. Since the founding of the Bundesliga, the teams have met ten times in competitive matches and the head-to-head record is evenly balanced with three wins each and four draws.
Tournament regulars: 1. FC Saarbrücken have featured in the DFB-Pokal a total of 46 times, their most recent appearance being in 2017/18 (a first-round exit against Union Berlin). In 2013/14, FCS caused a major upset when they defeated Werder Bremen 3-1 and were ultimately knocked out in the round of 16 in a 2-0 loss to Dortmund.
Tricky first round: Regensburg have been knocked out of the tournament in the first round in eight of their last nine appearances. Their 3-1 victory over Darmstadt in 2017/18 is the only time in that period that they have progressed to the second round, where they lost 5-2 to Heidenheim.
History of conceding: In seven away games in the DFB-Pokal, Regensburg have only progressed once – in the second round against SSVg Velbert in 2003/04, where they won 2-1. In 28 DFB-Pokal games, they have kept just one clean sheet, which came from a 1-0 victory against Eintracht Braunschweig in the first round in 1970. Regensburg have conceded at least one goal in each of their 21 cup games since then, the longest run without a clean sheet of all the teams in the 2019/20 DFB-Pokal.
VfB Lübeck vs. FC St. Pauli
Kick-off: Sunday, 15:30 CEST
Not the first Pokal encounter: The game between VfB Lübeck and FC St. Pauli at the Lohmühle marks something of a northern derby (Lübeck to Hamburg is just an hour’s drive). The fixture is a repeat of the 2016/17 first-round match-up in Lübeck, which St Pauli won 3-0, thereby avenging their 3-2 defeat after extra time at home back in 2003/04.
Winning en route to the semis: VfB Lübeck won their first DFB-Pokal clash against St. Pauli in the second round in 2003/04 at the Millerntor Stadium 3-2 after it went to extra time. The then Bundesliga 2 side then marched all the way to the semi-finals, where they lost 3-2 in extra-time to the eventual cup winners Werder Bremen.
Golden Jubilee: This season, FC St. Pauli are making their 50th appearance in the DFB-Pokal (including the Tschammerpokal).
Homecoming: St Pauli’s Ersin Zehir was born in Lübeck and played in VfB’s youth setup from 2007 to 2014, before joining FC St. Pauli’s academy.
VfB Eichstätt vs. Hertha BSC
Kick-off: Sunday, 15:30 CEST
Premiere: Sunday’s match against Hertha Berlin marks VfB Eichstätt’s first competitive match against a professional team and no doubt the biggest day in their history. It is also therefore the first competitive meeting between the these two teams.
Club no. 84: VfB Eichstatt will be playing in their first ever DFB-Pokal campaign and will be the 84th different club from Bavaria to compete in the tournament (not counting the region’s four reserve teams or Viktoria Aschaffenburg, who belonged to the Hesse FA at the time of qualifying).
Newcomers: The Upper Bavarian Regionalliga team are also the only tournament debutants out of all 64 teams that qualified. By comparison, last year saw eight teams make their DFB-Pokal debuts.
Extra-timers: Hertha have gone to extra-time in 52 games in the DFB-Pokal, more than any other team.
Venue: The DFB-Pokal tie will take place at the Audi Sportpark in Ingolstadt. VfB Eichstätt have been there already this summer during pre-season for a friendly against resident side FC Ingolstadt and battled well in the 4-3 defeat. Hertha BSC have also had good experiences in the Audi Sportpark, though: the team from the capital have played against Die Schanzer four times there in the second division and Bundesliga, and remain unbeaten (2 draws in BL2, 2 wins in the BL).
Energie Cottbus vs. FC Bayern München
Kick-off: Monday, 20:45 CEST
Clear record: Energie Cottbus and Bayern München are meeting for the first time in the DFB-Pokal, but thanks to the six seasons Energie Cottbus played in the Bundesliga, there have been a total of twelve matches between the two teams in the past (10 wins for Bayern, 2 wins for Cottbus).
Cup specialist: Bayern’s coach Niko Kovac is an absolute expert when it comes to the DFB-Pokal: in his 18 cup matches as coach he, has prevailed in 17 (3 via penalty shootout), only just losing with Frankfurt in the 2017 final against Dortmund (2-1).
Vestenbergsgreuth anniversary: FC Bayern, whose 2019/20 season marks their 61st in the DFB-Pokal, were last eliminated in the first round of the tournament 25 years ago. On 14th August 1994, Giovanni Trapattoni’s second competitive match in charge ended in a 1-0 defeat to TSV Vestenbergsgreuth.
Goal-getter: Robert Lewandowski fired Bayern into the quarterfinals, the semi-finals and the final with braces in each, winning the tournament almost single-handedly. In DFB-Pokal history, only Gerd Müller has had such a hot streak, finding the back of the net twice in each of the last three rounds of the 1969 tournament.
Strong away from home: With a narrow 3-2 victory over Bremen in last season’s semi-finals, FC Bayern set a new tournament record, having progressed to the next round in their last 30 away games. The last time they were knocked out in an away game was over ten years ago: a quarter-final exit in 2008/09 against Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
