By Ben McFadyean.
The draw for the German FA Cup, the DFB Pokal, took place on Sunday. In what should be the top fixture in the draw, Rekordmeister FC Bayern hosts holders Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Eliminating one of the top contenders will open up the field for this season’s tournament.
Eintracht Frankfurt and Darmstadt 98 have both been given difficult draws in the round of 16. The 2018 cup winners will travel to league rivals RB Leipzig, while Die Lilien have to face Werder Bremen.
Eintracht will face their opponents from the 2023 cup final which they narrowly lost.
For Darmstadt coach Florian Kohfeldt, traveling to his old club Bremen is a date with destiny. The 42-year-old coached Werder for 15 years, including four seasons (2017-2021) in the Bundesliga.
A payday is guaranteed for the remaining third-tier club Arminia, who have been struggling with financial challenges in recent seasons but host Bundesliga side SC Freiburg in a tie guaranteed to be sold out at the Bielefelder Alm.
There are two first-tier vs. second-tier ties. Karlsruher SC and Jahn Regensburg host FC Augsburg and VfB Stuttgart respectively. Despite playing away, the first-tier clubs will be favorites.
Meanwhile, four-time cup winners 1 FC Köln, who impressed in their 3-0 second-round win against Holstein Kiel, will fancy their chances at home against fellow promotion chasers Hertha BSC Berlin.
The round of 16 will be played on the 3rd and 4th of December. The German Football Federation, the DFB, has yet to finalize the exact dates.
DFB Pokal Round of 16 fixtures
Arminia Bielefeld – SC Freiburg
Bayern München – Bayer Leverkusen
Werder Bremen – SV Darmstadt 98
RB Leipzig – Eintracht Frankfurt
Karlsruher SC – FC Augsburg
Jahn Regensburg – VfB Stuttgart
1. FC Köln – Hertha BSC
VfL Wolfsburg – TSG Hoffenheim
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