On paper, the second round DFB Cup tie between Sportfreunde Lotte and Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday (18:30 CEST) should be a one-sided affair. Lotte have only recently been promoted to the third division and they come up against Bundesliga and Champions League team Bayer Leverkusen.
However, Bayer Leverkusen are approaching the match cautiously. Lotte beat Bundesliga team and last year’s semi-finalists Werder Bremen 2-1 in the first round and they have made a very good start to the season in the third division. They are currently fourth in the league just three points behind current leaders MSV Duisburg. Also Bayer Leverkusen will have to get by without their manager Roger Schmidt who received a two-match ban from the DFB.
Déjà-vu for Lotte and Leverkusen
Sportfreunde Lotte and Bayer Leverkusen faced each other in the DFB Cup last year. The favourites Bayer Leverkusen won 3-0 in the first round and made it all the way to the quarter-finals. However, they lost 3-1 to Werder Bremen in the quarter-final and were knocked out of the competition.
This is the first time that Lotte have made it to the second round of the DFB Cup and the match against Bayer Leverkusen will be the fourth match they have ever played in the competition. What things are working in their favour? Bayer Leverkusen haven’t been consistent so far this season. Good performances like the 2-0 win over Dortmund in the Bundesliga or the 0-0 draw in the Champions League against Tottenham Hotspur have been followed by defeats to Werder Bremen (2-1) and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim (3-0).
On paper, the second round DFB Cup tie between Sportfreunde Lotte and Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday (18:30 CEST) should be a one-sided affair. Lotte have only recently been promoted to the third division and they come up against Bundesliga and Champions League team Bayer Leverkusen.
However, Bayer Leverkusen are approaching the match cautiously. Lotte beat Bundesliga team and last year’s semi-finalists Werder Bremen 2-1 in the first round and they have made a very good start to the season in the third division. They are currently fourth in the league just three points behind current leaders MSV Duisburg. Also Bayer Leverkusen will have to get by without their manager Roger Schmidt who received a two-match ban from the DFB.
Déjà-vu for Lotte and Leverkusen
Sportfreunde Lotte and Bayer Leverkusen faced each other in the DFB Cup last year. The favourites Bayer Leverkusen won 3-0 in the first round and made it all the way to the quarter-finals. However, they lost 3-1 to Werder Bremen in the quarter-final and were knocked out of the competition.
This is the first time that Lotte have made it to the second round of the DFB Cup and the match against Bayer Leverkusen will be the fourth match they have ever played in the competition. What things are working in their favour? Bayer Leverkusen haven’t been consistent so far this season. Good performances like the 2-0 win over Dortmund in the Bundesliga or the 0-0 draw in the Champions League against Tottenham Hotspur have been followed by defeats to Werder Bremen (2-1) and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim (3-0).
