Third-division team Erzgebirge Aue are set to host top-flight Borussia Monchengladbach at Erzgebirgsstadion in the first round of the DFB-Pokal on Saturday.
The home side are currently second in the 3. Liga after winning their opening two games, while the visitors are yet to begin their 2024-25 campaign but finished 14th with 34 points last term.
Match preview
The hosts began their league season with a 2-1 win against Hannover 96 II on August 3, before beating VfL Osnabruck 2-0 on August 10 in their last game.
Despite Veilchen having 58% possession, 16 shots and six attempts on target against Osnabruck, they only managed to create one big chance.
Of the 20 teams in 3. Liga, Erzgebirge Aue are averaging the third most possession won in the final third per match and the fifth most accurate passes per match, but just the eighth most touches in the opposition box.
Given that it is so early in the season, it would be unwise to draw too many conclusions, though it has certainly been a positive start to the season for manager Pavel Dochev's side.
The last time Erzgebirge Aue participated in the DFB-Pokal was in the 2022-23 season, and they were eliminated in the first round after they lost 3-0 against Mainz 05 on July 31.
When factoring in penalty shootouts, the home side have lost eight of their last nine games in the competition and have been knocked out at the first stage in the last three consecutive seasons.
Opponents Borussia Monchengladbach will have been alarmed by their showing in 2023-24 given they finished only one point above 16th-placed VfL Bochum, who ended up in the league's relegation playoff spot.
In that league season, Die Fohlen scored 56 goals and conceded 67 times, and this made them the division's seventh-best offensive and yet just the 16th-best defensive team.
Last term's poor performances continued a trend of disappointing Bundesliga campaigns following their fourth-placed finish in 2019-20, with the visitors finishing eighth in 2020-21, 10th in 2021-22, 10th with fewer points in 2022-23 and finally 14th in 2023-24.
The away side might have to wait for their first Bundesliga victory in 2024-25 considering they take on champions Bayer Leverkusen in their opening league fixture on August 23.
Borussia Monchengladbach were knocked out of the DFB-Pokal last term at the quarter-final stage after losing 2-1 against third-division Saarbrucken on March 12.
Although the away side have lost three of their last five fixtures on the road in the competition, they have won 15 of their last 19 away games in the DFB-Pokal.
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Team News
The hosts could name a similar side to the one that started their most recent 3. Liga match, so expect Martin Mannel to be in goal.
Maxim Burghardt, Anthony Barylla, Tim Hoffmann and Kilian Jakob could all start in defence for Erzgebirge Aue, while Borys Tashchy and Marcel Bar could lead their attack.
As for the visitors, they are set to be without Simon Walde until next month, and Yvandro Borges Sanches is not expected back until December due to a cruciate ligament injury.
Although Manu Kone has been in training, he is unlikely to feature given his Olympic exploits with France, though signing Tim Kleindienst could feature.
Erzgebirge Aue possible starting lineup:
Mannel; Burghardt, Barylla, Hoffmann, Jakob; Clausen, Pepic, Majetschak, Stefaniak; Tashchy, Bar
Borussia Monchengladbach possible starting lineup:
Nicolas; Scally, Itakura, Elvedi, Netz; Reitz, Weigl; Honorat, Stoger, N'Goumou; Kleindienst
We say: Erzgebirge Aue 1-4 Borussia Monchengladbach
Although Borussia Monchengladbach were eliminated from the DFB-Pokal last term by a 3. Liga side, it is difficult to see it happening for a second consecutive season.
Given the gap in quality between the teams, it would not be surprising if the visitors comfortably won on Saturday.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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