News (engl.)

Defending champions VfB Stuttgart will travel to 1. FSV Mainz 05 in the standout tie of the DFB-Pokal second round. Eintracht Frankfurt will host Borussia Dortmund in a heavyweight clash between two former cup winners. The fixtures were drawn on Sunday afternoon at the German Football Museum in Dortmund, with referee Dr Felix Brych conducting the draw and DFB vice-president Peter Frymuth overseeing proceedings.

Record titleholders Bayern München face a Bundesliga showdown away to 1. FC Köln, while last season’s finalists Arminia Bielefeld are off to the capital once again – this time to face top-flight side Union Berlin. In total, five all-Bundesliga ties were drawn for the round of 32, including 1. FC Heidenheim vs. Hamburger SV and FC St. Pauli vs. TSG Hoffenheim.

There will also be six matchups between Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga clubs: Borussia Mönchengladbach take on Karlsruher SC, FC Augsburg face recently relegated VfL Bochum, and SC Freiburg head to Fortuna Düsseldorf. Elsewhere, Bayer Leverkusen visit SC Paderborn, Wolfsburg meet Holstein Kiel in the north, and RB Leipzig travel to 3. Liga side Energie Cottbus.

Lower-league Illertissen host Magdeburg

Regionalliga outfit FV Illertissen – the lowest-ranked club left in the competition – will host 2. Bundesliga side 1. FC Magdeburg. Club legend Karl-Heinz Bachtaler called the achievement “the greatest success in our club’s history” and added with a smile: “We’ve got more chance against Magdeburg than against a top-flight team.”

In the remaining ties, Hertha BSC face SV Elversberg in an all-second-division meeting, SpVgg Greuther Fürth host 1. FC Kaiserslautern, and SV Darmstadt 98 take on FC Schalke 04.

The second round will be played on 28th and 29th October, with the exact schedule listed below. The final will take place on 23rd May 2026 at Berlin’s Olympiastadion.

Second-round draw in full:

Tuesday, 29th October

18:30 CET

• Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Borussia Dortmund
• Hertha BSC vs. SV Elversberg
• 1. FC Heidenheim vs. Hamburger SV
• VfL Wolfsburg vs. Holstein Kiel

20:45 CET

• FC Energie Cottbus vs. RB Leipzig
• Borussia Mönchengladbach vs. Karlsruher SC
• FC Augsburg vs. VfL Bochum
• FC St. Pauli vs. TSG Hoffenheim

Wednesday, 29th October

18:00 CET

• FV Illertissen vs. 1. FC Magdeburg
• SpVgg Greuther Fürth vs. 1. FC Kaiserslautern
• SC Paderborn 07 vs. Bayer 04 Leverkusen
• 1. FSV Mainz 05 vs. VfB Stuttgart

20:45 CET

• 1. FC Köln vs. FC Bayern München
• 1. FC Union Berlin vs. Arminia Bielefeld
• SV Darmstadt 98 vs. FC Schalke 04
• Fortuna Düsseldorf vs. SC Freiburg