After their fifth and final pre-season friendly against fourth-tier FC Astoria Walldorf on Wednesday, Eintracht meet 1. FC Magdeburg on Monday 1 August (kick-off 20:45 CEST) in the first round of the 80th edition of the DFB Cup.
“Magdeburg is one of the most difficult ties we could have got in the DFB Cup first round. Playing against a team that have just been promoted to the second division, in front of a noisy crowd, will be a challenge,” board member for sport Markus Krösche said following the draw at the end of May. Magdeburg’s managing director for sport Otmar Schork also spoke of a “big challenge”, describing Eintracht as a “great draw”.
Frankfurt and Magdeburg also met in the first round of the cup six years ago in the state capital of Saxony-Anhalt. The game finished 1-1 after 90 minutes, and extra time couldn’t separate the sides either. In the subsequent shootout, Lukas Hradecky saved two spot-kicks before Guillermo Varela converted the winning penalty. It was a thrilling battle in a typically fierce cup atmosphere, and was also the start of Eintracht’s run to the final in Berlin.
Hoping to avoid repeat of last season
“We’re determined to get to the next round and have a better cup campaign than the last one,” said Krösche, who remembers the Eagles’ 2-0 defeat at SV Waldhof Mannheim in last season’s first round only too well and will be desperate to avoid another upset against lower-league opposition on Monday. The 2018 cup winners were unbeaten in pre-season and conceded just one goal, so Oliver Glasner’s side are in good shape going into the first competitive match of 2022/23.
Match-info
Kick-off: Monday 1 August, 20:45 CEST, DFB cup, first round
Stadium: MDCC-Arena, Magdeburg.
