The start of the football season in Germany begins with the First Round fixtures of the DFB-Pokal, otherwise known as the German Cup. Defending Champions RB Leipzig have been drawn to Teutonia Ottensen. At the same time, Bayern Munich will tackle Viktoria Köln.

The German Cup consists of sixty-four teams, including all teams from the previous year’s Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga. It is often considered the second most important football trophy in the country.

Bayern Munich is the most successful team in the DFB-Pokal, with twenty trophies. RB Leipzig won their first ever German Cup last season following the defeat of SC Freiburg on penalties. 

RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich will contest the German Super Cup Final at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig. As a result, matches involving the two teams have been moved to the end of August.

DFB-Pokal 2022/23 First Round fixtures

July 29th

TSG Neustrelitz    vs Karlsruher SC    Neustrelitz

1. FC Kaan-Marienborn vs 1. FC Nürnberg

Dynamo Dresden vs  VfB Stuttgart   

1860 Munich vs Borussia Dortmund    Munich

July 30th

Viktoria Berlin vs  VfL Bochum Berlin

SV Straelen vs  FC St. Pauli Duisburg

SV Elversberg vs  Bayer Leverkusen

Jahn Regensburg  vs  1. FC Köln   

FV Illertissen vs  1. FC Heidenheim    Illertissen

VfB Lübeck  vs  Hansa Rostock    Lübeck

SpVgg Bayreuth vs  Hamburger SV    Bayreuth

Einheit Wernigerode  vs  SC Paderborn

Stuttgarter Kickers  vs  Greuther Fürth

Kickers Offenbach  vs  Fortuna Düsseldorf   

Carl Zeiss Jena  vs  VfL Wolfsburg

July 31st

Schwarz-Weiß Rehden vs  SV Sandhausen

Bremer SV  vs  Schalke 04

1. FC Kaiserslautern vs SC Freiburg

SV Oberachern vs Borussia Mönchengladbach   

Blau-Weiß Lohne vs FC Augsburg

Schott Mainz  vs Hannover 96

FV Engers  vs Arminia Bielefeld   

SV Rödinghausen  vs 1899 Hoffenheim

Eintracht Braunschweig  vs  Hertha BSC

Erzgebirge Aue  vs  Mainz 05   

Waldhof Mannheim  vs  Holstein Kiel

1 August

Chemnitzer FC  vs Union Berlin   

Energie Cottbus  vs  Werder Bremen

FC Ingolstadt vs Darmstadt 98

1. FC Magdeburg vs Eintracht Frankfurt
   

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30 August 2022   

Teutonia Ottensen vs RB Leipzig 

31 August

Viktoria Köln  vs Bayern Munich

How important is the DFB-Pokal?

The DFB-Pokal is the traditional German trophy played across the country by clubs from different level. The winner of the tournament will qualify for the UEFA Europa League.