Ralf Kettemann’s SC Paderborn will host Bayer Leverkusen in a second-round DFB-Pokal match at the sold-out Home Deluxe Arena on Wednesday evening. Paderborn enters the match in strong form, remaining unbeaten in their last seven games and currently sitting second in the 2. Bundesliga standings.
In their previous outing, Paderborn secured a 2-1 victory against Dynamo Dresden, showcasing their resilience by coming from behind. In the first round of the DFB-Pokal, they defeated 3. Liga side Viktoria Köln 3-1, with early goals from Filip Bilbija and the now-departed Adriano Grimaldi.
Kettemann expressed confidence in his team's ability to challenge their Bundesliga opponents, stating, "We want to cause a surprise. Leverkusen is currently in very good form, but we're in good shape. We want to play from our own strengths."
Paderborn has a history of success in the DFB-Pokal, having progressed beyond the second round in five of their last ten campaigns, including quarter-final appearances in the 2017/18 and 2018/19 seasons. Last year, they were eliminated in the second round by Werder Bremen.
On the other hand, Bayer Leverkusen, under the management of Kasper Hjulmand since September, has regained momentum, remaining unbeaten in their last six league matches and currently positioned fifth in the Bundesliga. They bounced back from a heavy Champions League defeat to PSG with a convincing 2-0 win against SC Freiburg.
Leverkusen advanced comfortably in the first round of the DFB-Pokal, defeating Regionalliga side Sonnenhof Großaspach 4-0, with contributions from Patrick Schick, Arthur, Christian Kofane, and Alejandro Grimaldo.
Hjulmand acknowledged Paderborn's capabilities, stating, "We fully respect them. They have a very good team and have been doing a good job for years." He emphasized his team's focus on progressing in the tournament.
Leverkusen has a notable history in the DFB-Pokal, having won the trophy twice and reached the final five times, with their latest victory occurring in the 2023/24 season under Xabi Alonso.
In terms of team news, Paderborn will be without Marcel Hoffmeier and Calvin Brackelmann, while Leverkusen will miss Ezequiel Fernández, Malik Tillman, Axel Tape, Exequiel Palacios, Lucas Vázquez, and Nathan Tella.
The two teams have previously met twice in the DFB-Pokal, with Leverkusen advancing on both occasions, including their most recent encounter in the 2023/24 edition. Leverkusen has also won four of their last five matches against Paderborn.
Predicted lineups for the match are as follows:
SC Paderborn (3-4-2-1): Schubert (GK) - Hansen, Götze, Scheller - Curda, Baur, Castaneda, Obermair - Bilbija, Bätzner - Tigges
Bayer Leverkusen (3-4-2-1): Flekken (GK) - Quansah, Badé, Tapsoba - Arthur, Andrich, Garcia, Grimaldo - Hoffmann, Poku - Kofane
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