The 2011-12 German DFB Cup Round Of 16 was drawn on October 30 and record champions Bayern Munich will play at second division side VfL Bochum and holders Schalke 04 travel to Borussia Mönchengladbach. All told there are four all-Bundesliga match-ups and fourth division side Holstein Kiel is due to welcome Mainz 05 for the December 20-21 ties.
All-Bundesliga Matches
Four of the eight Round of 16 match-ups pit two Bundesliga teams against each other.
Borussia Mönchengladbach – Schalke 04
The title holders and five-time champions Schalke 04 have a tough test on their path to the quarter-finals as Huub Stevens’ team travels to three-time winners Borussia Mönchengladbach. Schalke, who knocked off Karlsruhe in the second round, beat Gladbach on the fourth game day in the Bundesliga 1-0 on a goal by Raul. One of the hottest players in the league right now is Schalke’s other big-money foreign-born striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who hopes to carry Schalke to the title.
Gladbach, penalty shoot-out winners over Heidenheim, have been superb at their home Borussia Park grounds – undefeated through their first six matches (four wins and two draws). And while Schalke will be a stiff challenge for Gladbach, at least the match is at home for them.
VfB Stuttgart – Hamburger SV
This is a match-up of three-time winners and Hamburg won 2-1 on the seventh game day in the Bundesliga so Stuttgart – in the Round of 16 for the sixth straight time – will be looking for a bit of revenge.
Stuttgart, who eased past FSV Frankfurt 3-0 in the second round, are looking for their first title since 1997. Hamburg, 2-1 winners over fourth division side Eintracht Trier, have not hoisted the crown since 1987.
1899 Hoffenheim – FC Augsburg
Both teams are shooting for their first ever German DFB Cup title. Hoffenheim, who beat Augsburg 2-0 in the Bundesliga already this season, reached the last 16 by knocking off Cologne 2-1. Bundesliga promoted club Augsburg beat highly-funded fourth division side Red Bull Leipzig 1-0 to reach the Round of 16.
Hertha BSC Berlin – Kaiserslautern
Promoted club Hertha BSC Berlin have never played in the final – played at their home grounds, the Berlin Olympic Stadium – and will have to knock off two-time winners Kaiserslautern. Berlin, who beat Rot Weiss Essen 3-0 to advance to this stage, will be playing their first German DFB Cup match at home in six years against Kaiserslautern, 1-0 winners over Eintracht Frankfurt.
First Division V Second Division
Three of the eight Round of 16 matches have second division teams taking on top flight sides with two of the lower level clubs hosting the games.
VfL Bochum – FC Bayern
Record 15-time champions Bayern Munich travel for their Round of 16 encounter to second division side VfL Bochum. Bochum, looking for their first title, reached the last 16 for the first time since 2007 with a convincing 4-1 victory over SpVgg Unterhaching.
Bayern Munich fielded a B-team but still blasted past second division side Ingolstadt 6-0. Not playing were stars Manuel Neuer, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Franck Ribery, Philipp Lahm, Holger Badstuber, Daniel van Buyten and Mario Gomez. But Gomez replacement Nils Petersen scored two goals and 19-year-old David Alaba was superb throughout the game with one goal to make it 2-0 – though he could have scored two or three goals on the night at home.
Fortuna Düsseldorf – Borussia Dortmund
Both teams are two-time cup winners and reigning Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund will not have an easy time at Fortuna Düsseldorf, who lead the second division and have not lost in 22 matches as of October 30, 2011. The 1979 and 1980 cup winners Düsseldorf, who beat 1860 Munich 3-0 to reach the last 16, are also undefeated at home in their last 21 matches.
Nürnberg – Greuther Fürth
The four-time champions Nürnberg – winners last in 2007 – get a local derby against neighbours Greuther Fürth from the second division. Nürnberg beat Erzgebirge Aue 2-1 to reach the last 16 while Fürth knocked off Paderborn 4-0.
Fourth Division V First Division
There is only one amateur team left in the competition – Holstein Kiel.
Holstein Kiel – Mainz 05
The fourth division side Holstein Kiel will be facing Mainz 05 and looking for their third straight higher level scalp after beating second division teams Energie Cottbus and MSV Duisburg in the first two rounds.
Mainz are struggling in the Bundesliga but survived in the second round, beating Hannover 1-0 by stopping a potential game-equalizing penalty deep into stoppage time of extra time.
Fixtures For Final Four Rounds.
The eight Round of 16 matches will be played on December 20 and 21.
The quarterfinals will be played on February 7, 2012 with the semifinals on March 20, 2012 and the final planned for May 12, 2012 at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium.
David Hein - David Hein is a professional freelance journalist, focusing mainly on Sports, especially international basketball, European soccer and ...
