Gerade eingetroffen: Alemannia Aachen hat endlich einen Schlüsselspieler von Bayer Leverkusen entdeckt, um ihn zu verpflichten und zu ersetzen………..mehr dazu.

Alemannia Aachen are making their first appearance in the Pokal since the 2019-20 season, where they faced a 4-1 defeat against eventual champions Bayer Leverkusen.

The team will be eager to cause an upset against their top-tier opponents and secure a spot in the second round for the first time since the 2010-11 season, during which they reached the quarter-finals before being knocked out by Bayern Munich.

Aachen has a respectable history in the competition, having reached the final once in the last two decades and regularly advancing past the first round between 2003-04 and 2010-11.

Heiner Backhaus’s squad has started their league campaign well, with a win and a draw, placing them sixth in the table. However, their defensive vulnerabilities, having conceded goals in both matches, might be a concern against stronger teams like Kiel.

Holstein Kiel, on the other hand, will be keen to assert their dominance over their lower-league opponents and set the tone for their debut Bundesliga season.

The Storks earned promotion by finishing in the top two of the 2023-24 2. Bundesliga, under the guidance of manager Marcel Rapp, who has been at the helm since 2021.

Rapp will be aiming for a strong performance to lift his team’s spirits after a mixed pre-season, where they managed only one win out of four matches, losing two and drawing one.

The newly promoted club advanced past this stage last season and will be looking to reach the second round of the Pokal for the second year in a row.