DFB-Pokal: Carl Zeiss Jena Face Goliath Bayer Leverkusen
Xabi Alonso's seemingly unstoppable Bayer Leverkusen face a daunting first-round DFB-Pokal tie on Wednesday as they travel to Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld to take on fourth-tier side Carl Zeiss Jena.
The hosts have enjoyed a stellar start to the 2024-25 season, topping the Regionalliga Northeast with 15 points from five games. Meanwhile, Leverkusen find themselves fourth in the Bundesliga after just one game.
A David vs Goliath Encounter
Carl Zeiss Jena were relegated to the fourth tier of German football in 2019-20 and have narrowly missed out on promotion in recent seasons. However, they are determined to secure the division's sole promotion spot this time around.
After five matches, Jena sit four points clear of second-placed Lokomotive Leipzig, thanks in part to their impressive goalscoring record, having netted 17 times already. They have only kept one clean sheet but have conceded the opening goal just once.
Manager Henning Burger's side are in fine form, winning 4-1 against Plauen in their last outing and boasting a record of 10 wins and four draws in their past 14 competitive matches. However, Burger will be aware that his team has a poor record in the DFB-Pokal, failing to progress from 10 of their last 11 ties.
Leverkusen Aim for Another DFB-Pokal Triumph
Bayer Leverkusen arrive at the game fresh from a thrilling opening Bundesliga win against Borussia Monchengladbach. Despite conceding a two-goal lead, Leverkusen ultimately secured a dramatic victory thanks to a stoppage-time winner from Florian Wirtz.
While their performances in the Bundesliga opener and the German Super Cup final against Stuttgart might not have been their most convincing, Alonso will be encouraged by his side's continued resilience in difficult situations.
Last season, Leverkusen lifted the DFB-Pokal trophy, defeating second-tier side Kaiserslautern in the final. They have also been remarkably consistent on the road in the competition, progressing from 20 of their last 24 away matches, including their last three.
Team News and Potential Lineups
Carl Zeiss Jena will be without Maurice Hehne, Marcel Hoppe, Elias Loder, Justin Petermann and Justin Smyla. The hosts are likely to field a similar starting eleven to the one that triumphed over Plauen, with goalkeeper Marius Liesegang likely to be protected by a backline comprising Nils Butzen, Soren-Kurt Reddemann, Khalid Abu El Haija and Paul Kramer.
Alonso is expected to make several changes to his Leverkusen lineup, with players like Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Piero Hincapie potentially being rested. However, the visitors will be without Viktor Boniface, Odilon Kossounou and Martin Terrier through suspension, while Exequiel Palacios remains sidelined with a knee injury.
Possible Starting Lineups:
Carl Zeiss Jena: Liesegang; Butzen, El Haija, Reddemann, Kramer; Gipson, Muqaj, Schau, Richter; Weinhauer, Sezer.
Bayer Leverkusen: Kovar; Tapsoba, Tah, Belocian; Tella, Andrich, Garcia, Arthur; Hofmann, Adli; Schick.
Prediction
Despite the anticipated changes, Leverkusen's squad depth is such that they should comfortably overcome their lower-league opponents. Jena's impressive attacking performances this season could see them create a few chances, but Leverkusen are clear favourites for this match.
Sports Mole predicts: Carl Zeiss Jena 2-5 Bayer Leverkusen
For a detailed data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match, please click here.
