Kaiserslautern have won just three of their last 27 competitive meetings against the Werkself. This will be the seventh encounter between the two clubs in the cup. Victory for the Black-and-Reds would mean a first domestic double following the first Bundesliga title - Bayer 04 would become just the fifth team since the formation of the Bundesliga to achieve this feat. FC Bayern Munich, 1. FC Köln, SV Werder Bremen and Borussia Dortmund have previously claimed the double.
The Red Devils, meanwhile, are in the DFB Pokal final for the first time since the 2002/03 campaign and the eighth time in total. FCK are also the first Bundesliga 2 side to reach the final of the competition since MSV Duisburg in 2010/11.
And a bit of information on Kaiserslautern coach Friedhelm Funkel: the 70-year-old was actually already "retired", as he explained at yesterday's press conference. However, in February he took the helm at the relegation-threatened Rhineland-Palatinate club. Not only has Funkel guided them to safety in the league but also to victory in the DFB Pokal semi-finals, where they overcame 1. FC Saarbrücken, who knocked out Bayern, Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Mönchengladbach in the previous rounds. Today is Funkel's third appearance in the cup final as a coach - a joint record.
A turbulent campaign in the second tier, with a total of three different coaches, ended in 13th place for Kaiserslautern. With 59 goals, FCK only scored three fewer than champions FC St. Pauli (62) - remarkable for a team who only narrowly avoided relegation to the third division. It's at the back where the two-time cup winners have been particularly vulnerable. Dominating games also doesn't seem to suit FCK: when it comes to possession (44%) and pass completion (78.3%), their numbers are not impressive. Funkel was therefore clear in his assessment ahead of his third cup final: "I've never been more of an underdog. We need our best performance of the season." There's more on today's opponents in the in-depth opponent analysis.
Travel, food and drink, contact details and more: the Bayer 04 Fan Liaison team has put together all the information that the 27,000 travelling Leverkusen fans need ahead of the DFB Pokal final at Berlin's Olympiastadion. Click HERE!
Fans can also keep up to date with the trip to the capital with the live blog.
Another note: the Schwadbud at the BayArena is closed on Saturday.
The German Football Association (DFB) has appointed Bastian Dankert as the referee for the final. The 43-year-old has officiated 13 competitive fixtures involving the Werkself to date, with a record of six wins for the Black-and-Reds, one draw and six defeats. Dingert will be assisted this evening by René Rohde and Marcel Unger, while Harm Osmers is the VAR.
This evening's match will be shown live on ARD in Germany.
We are taking the Day of German Unity and the anniversary as an opportunity to tell a story that befits the subject - that of Falko Götz. The long-serving player, who currently works in scouting at Bayer 04, spoke to bayer04.de about his youth in the GDR, his escape during an away game in Belgrade and how he identifies with Bayer 04.
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With seven points from five games, Union Berlin have made a decent start to the season. Particularly in the wins against VfB Stuttgart and Eintracht Frankfurt, the Irons, who are otherwise known for their strong defence, impressively demonstrated they also have a lot to offer in attack. They will be looking to prove this once again at the BayArena on Saturday, 4 October (kick-off: 15:30 CEST, match on Sky and highlights on DAZN). The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Derby time in the Rhineland! After a successful September, the Bayer 04 Women are away to FC Köln on Sunday, 4 October. In the Bundesliga match kicking off at 18:30 CEST at the Franz Kremer Stadium (live on MagentaSport and DAZN), coach Roberto Pätzold is counting on the return of a number of players who have been absent through injury.
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Bayer 04 will have to manage without defender Axel Tape for the time being.
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A special tribute to a German football legend: The pay-TV channel Sky has dedicated a documentary worth watching to the current Germany sporting director and former Bayer 04 player and sporting director Rudi Völler. In addition to Völler's impressive career, assessments from contemporaries and very private insights, the 90-minute film also covers his many years of commitment to Bayer 04. "Rudi Völler - The one and only" is now available exclusively on Sky and the associated streaming service WOW.
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