There may be no Champions League this week, but thanks to the various cup competitions on offer, you can still get your midweek football fix. That could come courtesy of the DFB-Pokal in Germany, in which a selection of the country’s biggest clubs scrap to get into the third round of the competition.
DFB-Pokal 2014, Round 2: Schedule, scores and results
You can catch some German cup action in midweek, as the DFB-Pokal returns for its second round.
Stuart Franklin
Reigning champions Bayern Munich travel to face Hamburger SV on Wednesday in what is the pick of the action. However, Bayer Leverkusen take on fourth-division club Magdeburg and Borussia Mönchengladbach travel to Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday, after an out-of-form Borussia Dortmund take on second-tier St Pauli in Hamburg on Tuesday.
It is not only a rematch of the DFB-Pokal Quarterfinal a year ago, but a rematch after Hamburger SV held Bayern to their first scoreless draw in two and a half years. The Rothosen are on a minor resurgence with reserve coach Josef Zinnbauer now at the helm, but the manager-change honeymoon appears to have come to an end. Bayern are arguably the most unbeatable team in Europe right now, even with a scoreless draw against Borussia Mönchengladbach. Zinnbauer will do whatever he can to stymie Pep Guardiola’s potent attack, but a team that has scored just five goals in nine matches does not have the odds in their favor.
Prediction: Hamburger SV 0-3 Bayern Munich
Television: ESPN Deportes/ESPN 3 (US), BT Sport 1/ESPN (UK)
FC St. Pauli vs. Borussia Dortmund
A point above the relegation zone, Borussia Dortmund’s season has not started the way that many imagined they would. Where the Schwarzgelben have shined is midweek fixtures, where they have yet to lose in the Bundesliga and the UEFA Champions League. Now they travel to St. Pauli, who are in a relegation fight of their own in the Bundesliga Two. If Dortmund does not advance to the third round, questions of Dortmund’s viability will reach unimaginable heights.
Prediction: FC St. Pauli 0-3 Borussia Dortmund
Television: ESPN 3 (US), BT Sport 1 (UK)
The full schedule is below. All times are ET.
Tuesday
Chemnitzer FC 0-2 Werder Bremen
Arminia Bielefeld 0-0 (4-2) Hertha BSC
Kickers Offenbach 1-0 Karlsruher SC
Aalen 2-0 Hannover 96
Dynamo Dresden 2-1 Bochum
MSV Duisburg 0-0 (1-4) Köln
Kaiserslautern 2-0 Greuther Fürth
St Pauli 0-3 Borussia Dortmund
Wednesday
Magdeburg 2-2 (4-5) Bayer Leverkusen - Match recap here
Würzburger Kickers 0-1 Eintracht Braunschweig
1860 München 2-5 Freiburg
RB Leipzig 3-1 Erzgebirge Aue - AET
Hamburger SV 1-3 Bayern Munich
Hoffenheim 5-1 FSV Frankfurt
Wolfsburg 4-1 Heienheim
Eintracht Frankfurt 1-2 Borussia Mönchengladbach
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