Our next opponents: Young team with stand-out leader

Position

The Lokomotive coach Almedin Civa described the match against the Werkself as "a gift" immediately after the draw was made. This is the first time the five-time East German Cup winners have played in the first round of the DFB Cup since the club was reformed in 2003. A gift that the team definitely earned for themselves. At the end of May, Leipzig beat Chemnitz FC 1-0 in extra time in a dramatic final of the Saxony Cup and thereby secured progress to the DFB Cup – although the team had to play with ten men from 71 minutes after a player was sent off.

The club is set to play an historic match. "Leverkusen are a massive draw for us," said club president Thomas Löwe – and coach Civa immediately recalled a match from 2009. The current Lokomotive coach was then a 37-year-old player with SV Babelsberg when he faced the Werkself in the first round of the DFB Cup. Bayer 04 won the tie 1-0 thanks to a goal from Eren Derdiyok, "but it was tight," Civa remembers.

One advantage for his team: They are already up to speed having played three matches in the Regional League North-East – with mixed results. A 4-1 defeat in the opening match against BFC Dynamo Berlin was followed by a comfortable 3-0 victory over Optik Rathenow and last weekend brought a goalless draw in the cracking encounter with Carl Zeiss Jena, one of the favourites for promotion. But that also includes Leipzig who already had one foot in the third division in 2020. Lokomotive only lost out in the promotion matches to the third division due to the away goals rule against SC Verl and thereby remained in the fourth tier. That should soon change if possible – but there is a gift to unwrap before that.

Personnel

A look at the squad reveals that Lokomotive Leipzig are an ambitious fourth division side. They have a very young team including several talented players in their ranks from eastern Germany. The team is primarily held together by captain and leader Sascha Pfeffer. The 34-year-old playmaker has a wealth of experience with 224 third division and ten second division appearances and he was in the Dynamo Dresden team in 2011 that secured a spectacular 4-3 win against Bayer 04 in the first round of the cup. Other important members in the team are midfielder Maik Salewski plus striker Djamal Ziane who scored the winner in the state cup final. However, the prolific centre-forward is a doubt for the game against the Werkself due to a muscle problem.

One of the young players in the team, with a famous name, is relatively certain to start: The 19-year-old Zak Paulo Piplica, son of the former Cottbus keeper Tomislav Piplica, has recently been a regular in the central midfield.

Performers

In addition to the experienced midfield duo of Pfeffer and Salewski, the two full-backs are considered to be a key factor at Lokomotive. The Austrian Damir Mehmedovic on the left plus the former Germany youth international Robert Berger on the right are amongst the best players in the Regional League North-East. Berger is primarily feared for his attacking moves with goals again and again provided with crosses and he has also scored a goal himself this term from a free kick. One big plus for the team is the fans: Lokomotive have a big support that the club can also depend on in the game against the team from western Germany. "People, fill the ground!" is the call on the Leipzig website. 6,800 spectators are permitted for the match at the Bruno Plache Stadium.

Problems

The young team still lacks the necessary clinical finishing. "We created a lot of chances in the short last season but we didn't make enough of them," was the criticism from coach Civa in a recent MDR interview – although he has had to manage without key player Pfeffer due to injury. "So we have to be more clinical and concede less goals at the same time." Civa also describes the relatively small squad with only 18 outfield players as a "risk". Lokomotive Leipzig lack cover on the flanks if a first choice player is injured.

Prediction

Lokomotive are definitely contenders to again finish in the top third in the Regional League North-East – even if not top favourites for promotion to the third division. "I think we aren't that close to the very top at the moment," said coach Civa. But that can quickly change as the infrastructure at Leipzig is outstanding – and the desired merger with the traditional club VfB Leipzig could drive the club even further forward. But, in the short term, Lokomotive are hoping to spring a big surprise on Bayer 04. But even if that doesn't happen: The first outing in the DFB Cup should definitely provide a boost to the positive mood at the club.