Second-tier side Wehen Wiesbaden will be aiming to inflict a major upset when they host the holders RB Leipzig in the first round of the DFB-Pokal on Wednesday evening.

This tie was delayed due to Leipzig competing against Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich in the DFL-Supercup last month.

Match preview

Wiesbaden have enjoyed a decent enough start upon returning to Bundesliga 2 so far this season, with their tally of eight points from seven matches enough to see them sit outside of the relegation places at this early stage of the campaign.

The Hesse-based side were promoted via the playoffs by thrashing Arminia Bielefeld 6-1 on aggregate in early June, and they will be hoping for a better effort than their most recent season at their current level, which was when they suffered instant relegation in 2019-20.

Indeed, this is only their fourth season competing at the second level of German football in their history - having previously finished eighth in 2007-08 before being relegated in the following season - showcasing the strong work which head coach Markus Kauczinski and English sporting director Paul Fernie have achieved.

Whether that will stand them in good stead in terms of claiming a monumental scalp against the back-to-back German Cup champions Leipzig remains to be seen, but any positive result would be viewed as a major bonus considering that survival will be their primary aim between now and May 2024.

RB Leipzig coach Marco Rose before the match on September 19, 2023 © Reuters

Leipzig, on the other hand, will fancy their chances of becoming the first team in history to lift the DFB-Pokal on three successive occasions, having defeated Freiburg and Eintracht Frankfurt in the competition's most recent two finals.

Marco Rose's side have performed to a high standard during the early weeks of the campaign, winning six of their seven matches in all competitions, including beating Bayern 3-0 to win the DFL-Supercup for the first time in their history.

A 3-2 defeat away to high-flying Bayer Leverkusen in their opening league game remains the only blot on Die Roten Bullen's copybook in Rose's first full season in charge of the club, with their 1-0 victory away to Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday representing their fifth successive victory.

As such, they will be hugely confident of progressing to the second round of the cup when they arrive in Wiesbaden in midweek, ahead of two major tests on the horizon when they host Bayern and Manchester City in the Bundesliga and Champions League respectively.

Wehen Wiesbaden DFB-Pokal form:

Wehen Wiesbaden form (all competitions):

RB Leipzig DFB-Pokal form:

RB Leipzig form (all competitions):

Team News

RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko celebrates scoring their third goal with teammates on September 19, 2023 © Reuters

Wiesbaden will remain without Emanuel Taffertshofer and Keanen Bennetts due to muscle strains, with neither player likely to return until varying points in October.

With avoiding yet another relegation from the second tier almost certainly taking priority for the hosts, Kauczinski could ring the changes at BRITA-Arena on Wednesday, meaning that Nick Batzner should return to the hosts' starting XI.

Likewise, Rose is unlikely to risk any key players from the outset ahead of upcoming crucial fixtures against Bayern and Man City, with Lois Openda and Benjamin Sesko set to receive a breather after starting in tandem at the weekend.

Timo Werner, who came off the bench to score the winner at Borussia-Park, and Yussuf Poulsen appear likely to replace them, while goalkeeper Peter Gulasci could make his first start since recovering from a long-term ACL injury.

Olmo, Willi Orban, Amadou Haidara and El Chadaille Bitshiabu are all expected to remain sidelined through their own injury issues.

Wehen Wiesbaden possible starting lineup:
Lyska; Vukotic, Mockenhaupt, Reinthaler; Catic, Batzner, Jacobsen, Lee, Gunther; Prtajin, Jonjic

RB Leipzig possible starting lineup:
Gulasci; Klostermann, Kohler, Lukeba, Lenz; Seiwald, Moriba; Baumgartner, Forsberg; Poulsen, Werner

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We say: Wehen Wiesbaden 1-3 RB Leipzig

Given the amount of changes that both managers are likely to make for this tie, we expect to see a relatively open, free-flowing encounter play out in Wiesbaden.

While the visitors' lack of defensive depth and star quality in that area of the pitch could leave them exposed on occasions, they should have more than enough attacking firepower to call upon to avoid defeat, meaning that their hopes of making German cup history would remain alive for another round.

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Top tip

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