The 1st round of the DFB Cup and the sports show provide plenty of football. Where and when is there something to see and hear? Who are the big underdogs? An overview.
When does it start?
The DFB-Pokal starts on Friday (11.08.2023) with four games in the first round of the 2023/24 season. Borussia Mönchengladbach is the first Bundesliga team to intervene. The evening game promises to be a smash hit: Eintracht Braunschweig welcomes FC Schalke 04 to a second division and above all traditional duel (from 8.45 p.m. in the live center of sportschau.de).
When are the games?
30 of the 32 games take place on four matchdays. From August 11th, games will be played on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. There are a total of ten kick-off times from Friday, 6 p.m. to Sunday, 8:45 p.m. So fed up with football.
1st round – all games Arrow right
Why don’t Bayern and Leipzig play?
Bayern Munich and defending champion RB Leipzig will play the Supercup on Saturday (12.08.2023, 8.45 p.m.). That’s why there are no cup games this evening. The two co-favorites then carry their first round games on 26.9. (Bayern Munich near Prussia Münster) and 27.9. (RB Leipzig near Wehen Wiesbaden).
How is the sports show doing?
The sports show has the all-round carefree package for all football fans:
All games are available in the live ticker and in the audio live stream at sportschau.de. If several games take place at the same time, a conference will also run. In the ARD, the sports show provides summaries of the matches on Saturday evening (from 6 p.m.) and Sunday evening (from 7 p.m.) and as part of the live broadcast on Monday evening (from 8.15 p.m., see below). There are also highlight summaries of all games promptly sportschau.de and selected on the Sportschau YouTube channel.
Which games are available live and free-to-air?
ARD and ZDF are each offering two live games on TV and as a stream in the first round:
The sports show broadcasts Monday’s game between VfL Osnabrück and 1. FC Köln (8.45 p.m.) and Prussia’s Münster duel with Bayern (September 26, see above). ZDF shows the games Braunschweig – Schalke (Friday, 8.45 p.m.) and Wehen Wiesbaden – Leipzig (September 27).
Who are the biggest misfits?
Six current fifth division clubs have made it into the main round of the DFB Cup via the state cups:
TuS Bersenbrück (Lower Saxony upper league) FC Obereuland (Bremen league), TSV Schott Mainz (Rhineland-Palatinate/Saar upper league), Rostocker FC (Mecklenburg-Western Pomeranian association league), Makkabi Berlin (NOFV upper league north) SV Oberachern (5th league, Oberliga Baden-Württemberg)
Rostocker FC and Makkabi Berlin are in the DFB Cup for the first time ever.
Where is the greatest potential for surprises?
In the first round of the DFB Cup, it’s “small versus big” in the many games. But again and again some of the big ones stumble.
Perhaps the euphoria against VfL Wolfsburg will release energy at Makkabi Berlin? Or will Borussia Dortmund suffer a serious setback at TSV Schott Mainz (Saturday, 3.30 p.m.)? It’s been 15 years since all Bundesliga clubs survived the first round in 2008. One of those cup laws.
Even if the difference in the league isn’t that big: It’s likely to be heated and tricky for Hamburger SV at Rot-Weiss Essen (Sunday, 1 p.m.) or for VfL Bochum at third division Arminia Bielefeld (Saturday, 6 p.m.).
How about the video evidence?
As in the previous season, the VAR will only be used from the round of 16. Logistics and capacity make it impossible to equip all games with the appropriate technology and staff in the first two rounds.
What’s next?
After the last two games are over at the end of September, the 2nd round will be played on October 31st and November 1st. The round of 16 will also take place in 2023, on December 5th and 6th.