DFB-Pokal Billets

When the Second Round Ties Are Played

The DFB-Pokal's 2026/27 campaign moves into its Second Round on Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 October 2026, with eight ties confirmed so far. Borussia Dortmund host Werder Bremen at Signal Iduna Park, Borussia Mönchengladbach face Karlsruher SC at Borussia-Park, and FC Cologne welcome 1. FC Union Berlin to RheinEnergieStadion, all kicking off at 20:45. Earlier the same evening, Hamburg SV host Eintracht Frankfurt at Volksparkstadion, Rot-Weiss Essen face RB Leipzig, SG Sonnenhof Großaspach take on FC Augsburg, and VfL Bochum meet Mainz, each at 18:00. The round continues into Wednesday with Dynamo Dresden hosting Schalke 04 and SC Freiburg facing VfL Wolfsburg.

Every tie in this round is a single match, so there is no second leg to fall back on if the first result goes against the home side. That format is a large part of why the DFB-Pokal has such a strong reputation among German football fans, since a strong midweek atmosphere at a smaller ground can genuinely unsettle a visiting Bundesliga side.

The Draw's Bundesliga Heavyweights

This year's field of 60 clubs runs from Bundesliga regulars to lower-division sides chasing a cup upset. Alongside the ties above, Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, Stuttgart, TSG Hoffenheim and SC Freiburg all remain in the draw, giving the Second Round its usual mix of one-sided pairings and genuine banana-skin fixtures. German cup football has a long history of top-flight teams coming unstuck against determined lower-league opposition, which keeps interest high through these early rounds.

Clubs such as 1. FC Magdeburg, 1. FC Nürnberg, Hannover 96, Hertha Berlin and Holstein Kiel also remain part of this season's 60-club field, representing the lower-division and second-tier presence that gives the DFB-Pokal its distinctive early-round character before the competition narrows towards a more predictable set of contenders.

Grounds Hosting This Season's Ties

Fixtures in the current round are spread across a wide range of stadiums, from the Bundesliga's largest arenas to smaller regional grounds. Signal Iduna Park, Borussia-Park, RheinEnergieStadion and Volksparkstadion all host Second Round ties this year, alongside venues such as the Weserstadion in Bremen, which holds 42,100, and the Europa-Park Stadion in Freiburg.

Smaller grounds also feature prominently at this stage, including the Millerntor-Stadion in Hamburg, the SCHAUINSLAND-REISEN-ARENA in Duisburg and the Ludwigsparkstadion in Saarbrücken, each reflecting the mix of Bundesliga and lower-division hosts still competing for a place in the next round.

How the Competition Progresses From Here

After the Second Round, the draw moves on to the Round of 16 and then the Quarter-Finals, with the winners of those ties eventually meeting in the Semi-Finals and Final. Fans who missed the First Round and want to follow a club's full run can track each stage as the draws are confirmed via the Second Round page.

Comparing DFB-Pokal Tickets

We compare listings for DFB-Pokal matches across StubHub, Viagogo, Hellotickets, Football Ticket Net, Gigsberg and SportsEvents365, so supporters can weigh up options before choosing where to buy. With clubs like Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt both involved in this round, demand for the bigger ties is likely to be higher than for the smaller regional matchups on the same midweek schedule.

Fixtures involving a Bundesliga giant travelling to a lower-division ground, such as Rot-Weiss Essen's tie against RB Leipzig, are also worth watching closely, since these are exactly the matches the DFB-Pokal is famous for producing an upset in front of a sold-out home crowd.