FC Bayern starts the cup against Wehen: Wagner faces his first challenge!

FC Bayern starts the cup against Wehen: Wagner faces his first challenge!

The first rounds of the DFB Cup are just around the corner and the excitement couldn't be greater! FC Bayern Munich will face SV Wehen Wiesbaden, a third division team, in the first round and will therefore be under the spotlight. This was announced by the draw, which took place at the German Football Museum in Dortmund. The cup officially starts from August 15th to 18th, 2023, with the really big names like Bayern and defending champions VfB Stuttgart only competing in the first round a little later - namely on August 26th and 27th.

But that's not the only thing that caused excitement in the draw. Stuttgart will face Eintracht Braunschweig, a second division team, and promises fierce duels. An exciting encounter to look forward to! FC Augsburg also has an exciting match ahead of them, which will be played under the direction of their new coach Sandro Wagner against Halleschen FC in the Regionalliga Nordost.

More exciting encounters

The first round of the DFB Cup has some interesting games in store. 1. FC Nürnberg will face FV Illertissen (fourth division), while SpVgg Greuther Fürth will face TuS Blau-Weiß Lohne. Another highlight is the encounter between relegated Jahn Regensburg and Bundesliga returnees 1. FC Köln. Fans can also look forward to the duel between 1. FC Schweinfurt, who plays in the 3rd league, and Fortuna Düsseldorf. And don't forget: Arminia Bielefeld plays against Werder Bremen - a rematch since Bielefeld won against Bremen in the quarter-finals last season!

There are a few directions for the teams that want to advance to the next round: The second round will take place on October 28th and 29th, 2023, followed by the round of 16 on December 2nd and 3rd. The decisive phases, the quarter-finals in February and the semi-finals in April 2024, bring the best teams closer to the goal of the cup trophy, which will be awarded on May 23, 2026 in the Berlin Olympic Stadium.

Challenges for the favorites

Games like those between Borussia Dortmund against Rot-Weiss Essen in the 3rd division and RB Leipzig against SV Sandhausen (fourth division) show that even the favorites shouldn't feel too safe. Runner-up Bayer Leverkusen has to deal with SG Sonnenhof Großaspach, a fourth division team that will do everything in its power to cause a surprise. This could be an exciting year for the DFB Cup, especially for the clubs that have to step into the ring and give their best in the first round.

The always exciting draw also deserves special attention. Athlete Owen Ansah, the first German to run the 100 meters under 10 seconds, had the honor of acting as a lottery ticket this year.

The anticipation for the competition could hardly be higher. It remains to be seen how our players will perform in the first rounds. Now is the time for all fans to count down the weeks until kick-off as it could be a magical cup season!

Further exciting information and statistics can be found at kicker.de.