Big luck for RB Leipzig in the DFB Cup! In the last sixteen it is “only” against second division VfL Bochum. Statistically speaking, that’s half a sensation.
Leipzig – Big luck for RB Leipzig in the DFB Cup! On Sunday evening the opponent of the last sixteen of the Saxons was determined, it is “only” the second division VfL Bochum, against whom they also enjoy home rights for the first time in two years (TAG24 reported).
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After the winning goal at VfB Stuttgart on Saturday, there was no stopping Tyler Adams, goalscorer Dani Olmo and Emil Forsberg (from left to right). © Picture Point / Roger Petzsche
It has been a long time since the DFB Cup draw was made to mention the word “Losglück” in the same breath as “RB Leipzig”. But this time, ski jumping legend Sven Hannawald (46) was actually the much-circumscribed lot fairy and not a lottery witch for the Red Bulls.
The fact that Bochum will now go to the Red Bull Arena on February 2 or 3 in the round of the last 16 teams did not exactly make the currently strong fourth place in the 2nd Bundesliga jump on Castroper Straße.
“There are no easy opponents in a round of 16 anyway, that was clear,” said Sebastian Schindzielorz (41), Managing Director Sport. “It could certainly have gone a little better (…). Leipzig is one of the absolute top teams in Germany. It will be a very interesting duel for us.”
VfL had to deal with the Rhineland-Palatinate upper division club FV Engers in the first round, where they won a 3-0 win. RB had already pulled one of the toughest hurdles with 1. FC Nürnberg around the motivated ex-Leipzig trainer Robert Klauß (35), but mastered it with flying colors (3-0).
In the second round, Leipzig also left FC Augsburg 3-0 away, while Bochum surprisingly won the penalty shoot-out at Bundesliga club 1. FSV Mainz 05.
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Anthony Losilla (l.) And Robert Tesche from Bochum will come to RB Leipzig in early February. © David Inderlied / dpa
Statistically, the fact that RB Leipzig can play at home against Bochum is half a sensation.
After two away games this season, there were three duels on foreign pitches in 2019/20. VfL Osnabrück (3: 2) and VfL Wolfsburg (6: 1) could be beaten, Eintracht Frankfurt (1: 3) not. The Bulls have never had a home game against a lower-class team.
Since the promotion to the Bundesliga in 2016/17, they played ten times away from home in 13 games. In addition, there is the cup final 2019 in the Berlin Olympic Stadium (0: 3 against FC Bayern Munich).
In any case, the Bochumers believe in their chance. “Cup nights can be magical, we were able to experience that again in Mainz,” said Bochum’s sports director Schindzielorz. “We’ll do everything we can to take advantage of the opportunities that Leipzig offers us.”
And RB sporting director Markus Krösche (40) sees “a hard piece of work” awaiting his club, “because they are fighting strong and have nothing to lose”.
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