Following the last play-off match between Regional League Borussia Dortmund and second division Borussia Mönchengladbach (3-1), former Germany international Turid Knaak drew the 16 matches with the draw led by Maren Meinert, the Germany Women's team assistant coach. The first round proper was drawn from two pots. The 16 winners of the play-off matches were in pot one and were drawn at home. The teams from the Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga plus Turbine Potsdam and SC Sand from the Women's Bundesliga 2 were in pot two.
The winners of the 16 ties qualify for the Round of 16 with those matches played between 15 and 17 November. The quarter-finals follow on 11 and 12 March 2026 before the four remaining teams meet in the semi-finals from 4 to 6 April 2026. The final will be played on Ascension Day, 14 May 2026, at the RheinEnergieSTADION in Cologne as usual.
The Leverkusen Women are currently away at their training camp in Rieden in Bavaria (17 to 23 August) preparing for the new season. The team led by coach Roberto Pätzold play league rivals VfL Wolfsburg in a friendly on Friday, 22 August (14:00 CEST, Stadion Grüne Au, Hof, live stream on Werkself TV and on the Bayer 04 app). Following the return to Leverkusen, there is a final friendly against the Belgian club Standard Liège on Saturday, 30 August (16:00 CEST, 3 x 45 minutes, Kurtekotten). The new Bundesliga season kicks off a week later on Saturday, 6 September (17:45 CEST, live on ARD, Magenta Sport and DAZN) with the official opening fixture away to the champions Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena.
DFB POKAL FIRST ROUND DRAW
SV Meppen vs SC Sand
SV 07 Elversberg vs Bayer 04
BSG Chemie Leipzig vs FC Carl Zeiss Jena
Borussia Dortmund vs Bayern Munich
SG 99 Andernach vs RB Leipzig
FC Magdeburg vs Hamburg SV
SC Viktoria Hamburg vs Werder Bremen
FC Ingolstadt vs FC Nürnberg
Hannover 96 vs SC Freiburg
ATS Buntentor vs VfL Wolfsburg
Kickers Offenbach vs SGS Essen
Viktoria Berlin vs Eintracht Frankfurt
VfR Warbeyen vs FC Köln
FFC Montabaur vs FFC Turbine Potsdam
SpVgg Greuther Fürth vs TSG Hoffenheim
FSV Mainz 05 vs FC Union Berlin
Bayer 04 have fond memories of their encounters with Heidenheim, including a resounding 6-0 win in the reverse fixture. Kasper Hjulmand’s side would very much like to produce a similarly clinical display as they now head to the Voith-Arena for Matchday 27 on Saturday (15:30 CET). But they come up against a team fighting for their Bundesliga lives at the bottom of the table, 10 points adrift of safety with time running out. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game in our matchday news.
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The Bayer 04 Women welcome FC Carl Zeiss Jena to the Ulrich Haberland Stadium on Sunday night in a white retro look - and in a unique Bayer 04 ‘50 Years of Fan Clubs’ special edition jersey. In sporting terms, head coach Roberto Pätzold's team will face the Bundesliga's bottom team at 18:30 CET looking to keep their chances of third place in the table alive with six games left to play.
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Bayer 04 return to Bundesliga action this weekend. Following their elimination in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League, the Werkself are away to FC Heidenheim 1846 on Saturday, 21 March (kick-off: 15:30 CET) on Bundesliga matchday 27. Ahead of the clash in the eastern Swabian Alps, head coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke about the importance of the fixture and the chances of qualifying for the Champions League next term.
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A quick look at the table shows the situation at FC Heidenheim is serious. The Bundesliga bottom club are already ten points behind the play-off spot with their backs to the wall in sporting terms. With eight games left to play, avoiding relegation appears to be a mission impossible. Nevertheless, they are far from flying the white flag at the Schlossberg ahead of the clash with the Werkself this Saturday, 21 March (kick-off: 15:30 CET). The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen will have to manage without the two strikers in the immediate future. Caroline Kehrer suffered a torn ligament in her right knee and Amy Wrigge tore her cruciate ligament.
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