Third-tier Alemannia Aachen will host Bundesliga newcomers Holstein Kiel in a DFB-Pokal clash at the New Tivoli on Saturday.
Holstein Kiel, fresh from their historic promotion to the top flight, will be eager to build momentum ahead of the league campaign with a positive result.
Match preview
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Alemannia Aachen are participating in their first Pokal competition since the 2019-20 season, when they suffered a 4-1 defeat to eventual champions Bayer Leverkusen.
The Alemannen will be aiming for an upset against their top-tier opponents and a place in the second round for the first time since 2010-11, when they reached the quarter-finals before being eliminated by Bayern Munich.
The hosts boast a respectable record in the competition, having reached the final once in the past two decades and consistently progressing beyond the first round between 2003-04 and 2010-11.
Heiner Backhaus's side have made a solid start to their league campaign with a win and a draw, leaving them sixth in the table. However, their tendency to concede goals in both matches could prove costly against stronger opposition like Kiel.
Holstein Kiel will be looking to demonstrate their superiority over their lower-league opponents and make a statement ahead of their maiden Bundesliga season.
The Storks secured promotion by finishing in the top two of the 2023-24 2. Bundesliga, a feat orchestrated by manager Marcel Rapp, who took charge in 2021.
Rapp will be hoping for a positive result to boost his side's confidence after a mixed pre-season where they won just one of four matches, losing two and drawing one.
The newly promoted club advanced beyond this stage last term, and will aim to progress to the second round of the Pokal for the second consecutive season.
Team News
Alemannia Aachen have several injury concerns ahead of this match, including 24-year-old attacking midfielder Anas Bakhat, who is struggling with cartilage damage.
Right-back Florian Heister is also out with a muscle injury, while centre-back Julius Schell is still recovering from knee surgery.
Holstein Kiel will be without midfielder Colin Kleine-Bekel, who is sidelined until November with a cruciate ligament injury.
Thirty-one-year-old forward Steven Skrzybski is also out with a calf injury and is not expected to return until the end of the month.
Alemannia Aachen possible starting lineup:
Johhen; Haranths, Rumpf, Meyer; Winter, Bahn, El-Faouzi, Strujic; Heinz, Benschop, Scepanik
Holstein Kiel possible starting lineup:
Weiner; Becker, Bernhardsson, Erras, Holtby; Johansson, Knudsen, Machino, Porath, Puchacz; Remberg
We say: Alemannia Aachen 1-0 Holstein Kiel
Holstein go into this fixture on a poor run of form, which we think could impact their performance against an Alemannia Aachen side who are already competing in league matches and have made a positive start to their campaign.
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