RB Leipzig face 3. Liga side Rot-Weiss Essen in the second round of the DFB-Pokal.

RW Essen will host RB Leipzig for the second time in three seasons in the early rounds of DFB-Pokal.

RW Essen

After missing out on a promotion to 2. Bundesliga via the playoffs, RW Essen are currently in the same spot where they finished last season in 3. Liga. The league's best team in home standings are only behind Duisburg and Viktoria Köln after 11 rounds.

Essen got past the first round of the DFB-Pokal for the first time in four years. Marek Janssen and former Blackburn Rovers striker Semir Telalovic scored the goals as they knocked out last season's Bundesliga club St. Pauli.

RB Leipzig

Martin Demichelis’ side are the second highest scoring team in Bundesliga after their dominant second-half display secured a 4-0 victory over debutants Elversberg. Romulo scored a brace as a substitute, but it was Abdoul Kone who stole the headlines with a backheel assist in his first game for the club.

The two-time champions scored three goals in both halves against Eintracht Trier in the first round of the cup. However, they have lost all their three away games in Bundesliga, including a 6-0 defeat to FC Bayern on matchday 6.

Team News

Telalovic is unavailable with a shoulder injury, while fellow striker Jaka Cuber Potocnik also joined the list of absentees after his early substitution in the narrow victory over Regensburg on the weekend. 

Christoph Nkunku, who scored in the 2022/23 final against Eintracht Frankfurt, is still out with a groin injury. Fellow summer signing Maxime Esteve is yet to settle in Leipzig's lineup, and he'll also miss out from joining the traveling squad. 

Antonio Nusa scored on his RB Leipzig debut when the two teams last met in the first round of the 2024/25 season. However, the in-form winger could now be among the players to be rested for the upcoming games against Schalke and Manchester City.

Predicted Lineups

RWE: Golz ©; Hofmann, Hüning, Rios Alonso, Bouebari; Sietan, Reisig; Abiama, Pesch, Brumme; Janssen

Leipzig: Nyland; Baku, Orban, Lukeba, Raum ©; El Aynaoui; Gruda, Banzuzi; Gomis, Romulo, Nusa