RB Leipzig in the cup round of 16 against 1 FC Magdeburg

RB Leipzig will face second-division side 1. FC Magdeburg in the round of 16 of the DFB Cup. This pairing was drawn by sailor Felix van den Hövel at the draw at the German Football Museum in Dortmund on ZDF. The two-time cup winners (2022 and 2023), who won 4:2 at SV Sandhausen in the first round and then 4:1 at Energie Cottbus in the second round, will therefore have home advantage as hoped.

"We're delighted to be able to play this East Germany clash in front of our fans. We are happy to accept the role of favorites, but we will approach the task of Magdeburg seriously and with one hundred percent focus," said Marcel Schäfer, board member for sport, after the draw.

Eighth-final on 2.

1. FC Magdeburg, European Cup Winners' Cup winners in 1974 and the only EC winners in the former GDR, won 3-1 at 1. FC Saarbrücken and then booked their place in the round of 16 with a 3-0 win at Bavarian regional league side FV Illertissen. Unlike in the previous rounds, all teams were drawn in the same pot, regardless of their league affiliation. The first team to be drawn has the right to play at home. The round of 16 is scheduled for December 2-3.

The video referee is permitted from the round of 16 onwards. The technical aid was not used in the previous rounds. As a result, one or two referees came under scrutiny after controversial decisions.

The quarter-finals are scheduled for early and mid-February. The two semi-finals will be played in mid-April and the final in Berlin's Olympic Stadium will take place on May 23, 2026.