That was the outcome of today's draw on Sunday 18 June.
Simon Rolfes, sporting managing director, on the draw: “An interesting draw for the first game in the cup and obviously we will be taking our opponents very seriously particularly looking at our early exit last season. We want to do better this season and go as far as we can. So we will be fully motivated and focused in Ottensen. Of course, our target is the second round.”
The 36 teams in the Bundesliga and the second division are joined by the four best teams in the third division last season – SV Elversberg, VfL Osnabrück, SV Wehen Wiesbaden and FC Saarbrücken. In addition, there are 21 state cup winners from the lower leagues and one team for each of the three state associations with the most members, Bavaria, North Rhine Westphalia and the Lower Saxony, in the competition.
The first round ties will be played from 11 to 14 August 2023. The second round is set for 31 October/1 November 2023. The Round of 16 is on 5/6 December. The quarter-finals are planned to be played on 30/31 January 2024 and 6/7 February 2024. The semi-finals will be played on 2/3 April 2024 with the final in Berlin on 25 May 2024.
As soon as dates and details on ticket sales are available we will bring them to you here on bayer 04.de.
DFB Cup Round One:
FC 08 Homburg vs SV Darmstadt 98
Hallescher FC vs SpVgg Greuther Fürth
SV Sandhausen vs Hannover 96
VfL Osnabrück vs FC Köln
SV Atlas Delmenhorst vs FC St. Pauli
FV Illertissen vs Fortuna Düsseldorf
Maccabi Berlin vs VfL Wolfsburg
FC Rot-Weiß Koblenz vs FC Kaiserslautern
SpVgg Unterhaching vs FC Augsburg
Rostocker FC vs FC Heidenheim
SC Preußen Münster vs Bayern Munich
SSV Jahn Regensburg vs FC Magdeburg
Energie Cottbus vs SC Paderborn
FC Oberneuland vs FC Nürnberg
VfB Lübeck vs TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
TSG Balingen vs VfB Stuttgart
TSV Schott Mainz vs Borussia Dortmund
Rot-Weiss Essen vs Hamburg SV
SV 07 Elversberg vs FSV Mainz 05
FC Lokomotive Leipzig vs Eintracht Frankfurt
FC-Astoria Walldorf vs FC Union Berlin
FC Viktoria Köln vs Werder Bremen
FSV Frankfurt vs FC Hansa Rostock
SV Wehen Wiesbaden vs RB Leipzig
FC Teutonia 05 Ottensen vs Bayer 04 Leverkusen
FC Carl-Zeiss Jena vs Hertha Berlin
FC Saarbrücken vs Karlsruher SC
FC Gütersloh vs Holstein Kiel
SV Oberachern vs SC Freiburg
TuS Bersenbrück vs Borussia Mönchengladbach
Arminia Bielefeld vs VfL Bochum
Eintracht Braunschweig vs FC Schalke 04
The highly successful and mutually appreciated partnership between Bayer 04 and head coach Xabi Alonso ends after two and a half years. The 43-year-old Spaniard has led the Werkself to three trophies. Above all, winning the first German league title in the club's history will always be associated with the name of Xabi Alonso. The former world class player, who won many hearts in Leverkusen as a person, now says farewell to Bayer 04. We look back at a fantastic time with the Basque who fulfilled the biggest dream of all Bayer 04 fans together with an outstanding team.
Show moreA few weeks ago Borussia Dortmund were marooned in mid-table mediocrity in the Bundesliga. Then the Black and Yellows started a run that overcame all comers. And suddenly a Champions League spot was again within reach. BVB will be looking to take the next step towards the big target at the BayArena on Sunday, 11 May (kick-off: 15:30 CEST). Coach Niko Kovac has almost his full squad available. The lowdown on our next opponents.
Show moreA cracker of a semi-final at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. The Bayer 04 U19 team entertain Bayern Munich on Saturday, 10 May (kick-off: 11:00 CEST/stadium opens: 10:00 CEST). In front of a home crowd, the team led by head coach Sergi Runge, who welcomes back an attacking player, is looking to build on the battling performances from the previous knockout games and "perform at the right moment." Tickets are available from the Bayer 04 online shop and the game will also be broadcast live on Sky.
Show moreBayer 04 Leverkusen will be the first Bundesliga club to open and operate a football academy in Brazil. The "Bayer 04 Football Academy São Paulo," led by Bayer 04 club legend Paulo Sérgio, will be established on the Bayer Brazil campus in São Paulo and accommodate up to 300 children and youth ages 5 to 15.
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