The draw for the last 16 of this season’s DFB Pokal saw the five 2.Bundesliga and eleven Bundesliga sides learn their fate as they look to raise the trophy at the Olympiastadion in June.
Holders RB Leipzig with face Hoffenheim at the Red Bull Arena as they seek to defend their title won last season. Die Roten Bullen beat Hamburg in the previous round whereas TSG easily beat Schalke 5-1.
Last year’s beaten finalists Freiburg have been drawn to face second tier Sandhausen, who won through 8-7 on penalties last week against Karlsruher. The Breisgauer also had a dramatic win with a late extra-time winner from Michael Gregoritsch helping them beat St. Pauli 2-1. Bayern Munich will be at away at Mainz in an all-Bundesliga clash. “Of course it’s a hammer draw” explained Christain Heidel “And at the same time a huge challenge for us. The cup is there for surprises, and to ensure such surprises will also happen in a sold-out Mewa Arena against the top favourites Bayern Munich should be our goal. In the Bundesliga we’ve proven many times that this is possible. I’m looking forward to this game and the special atmosphere.”
There will be an intriguing derby as VfL Bochum host Borussia Dortmund with Edin Terzic looking for a second cup triumph. “Of course it’s a hammer draw” Mainz Managing Director Patrick Fabian reacted. “DFB Cup, floodlights, Revierderby. We are very happy that we got a home game in the Ruhr Stadium and we will do everything to ensure that our fans have a real football festival experience.”
The other all-Bundesliga encounter sees Union Berlin hosting VfL Wolfsburg at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei.
Second division high-flyers Paderborn will take on VfB Stuttgart, with the conquerors of Borussia Mönchengladbach Darmstadt travelling to face Eintracht Frankfurt.
The final tie of the round is an all second division affair with Nürnberg at home to Fortuna Düsseldorf.
Due to the World Cup the round of 16 ties won’t be played for another three months and for the first time extends to four dates: January 31, February 1 and February 7 and 8, 2023.
