Duisburg vs Elversberg - prediction, team news, lineups

Bundesliga debutants Elversberg volition question to instrumentality connected third-tier Duisburg at Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena on Saturday, for a showdown successful the DFB-Pokal's archetypal round.

The Zebras volition beryllium buoyed by their unbeaten commencement to the season, portion the Black and White volition beryllium kicking disconnected their competitory run this weekend.

Match preview

Dietmar Hirsch's Duisburg qualified for the DFB-Pokal by finishing 4th successful the 2025-26 variation of the 3. Liga, narrowly missing retired connected making the promotion playoff.

The Zebras person bounced backmost from that disappointment by opening 2026-27 with consecutive league wins, beating Meppen 3-0 connected August 8 and Verl 4-2 a week later, and the nine volition beryllium hoping to marque the astir of their conciliatory cupful place.

That being said, Hirsch's broadside person not featured successful the DFB-Pokal successful immoderate of the past 5 seasons, and it remains to beryllium seen however they volition fare up against top-flight absorption this weekend.

However, if Duisburg's pre-season is thing to spell by, past they could springiness a bully relationship of themselves, considering they were capable to beat Eredivisie club NEC Nijmegen 3-2 connected July 8, and hold Sparta Rotterdam to a 0-0 draw connected August 1.

Bolstering the Zebras' assurance further is their immense location record, which has seen them spell 26 competitory matches without decision erstwhile playing arsenic the hosts, a staggering tally that goes each the mode backmost to a 4-3 nonaccomplishment against FC Gutersloh successful December 2024.

Meanwhile, Vincent Wagner's Elversberg person been preparing for the club's first-ever Bundesliga campaign, and Saturday's cupful clash volition service arsenic the curtain-raiser for what volition beryllium remembered arsenic a historical season.

With the measurement up to top-flight shot successful mind, the Black and White scheduled friendlies against beardown absorption this summer, and the manager volition beryllium delighted with his team's performances, particularly their 5-2 triumph implicit Strasbourg connected August 4.

Wagner's broadside besides thrashed Ligue 1 Lorient 4-1 past clip out, taking an aboriginal pb through Lukasz Poreba and responding with 3 second-half goals after Mamadou Kone's equaliser.

That latest triumph means that Elversberg caput into this weekend's archetypal circular having mislaid conscionable 1 of their 8 astir caller outings, winning 5 times and drafting doubly successful the process.

All-in-all, the visitors volition beryllium the favourites to advancement connected Saturday, fixed the disparity successful divisions betwixt the clubs, not to notation that they person reached the 2nd circular successful 3 of the past 4 seasons.

Duisburg signifier (all competitions):

Elversberg friendlies form:

Team News

Duisburg person a mostly acceptable squad for this weekend's showdown, but near winger Dennis Borkowski, who precocious returned to afloat grooming aft recovering from a calf injury, is simply a uncertainty arsenic helium builds fitness.

If the 24-year-old is not acceptable to instrumentality part, past Ramien Safi should commencement connected the near alongside Jakob Bookjans and Jan-Simon Symalla, arsenic portion of an attacking trio supporting striker Lex-Tyger Lobinger.

Elsewhere, left-back Frederik Christensen has taken portion successful immoderate squad training, but remains a uncertainty aft missing sections of the club's preparations, truthful expect to spot Can Coskun and Joshua Bitter operating arsenic full-backs. 

As for Elversberg, they are missing Luis Seifert owed to a syndesmosis ligament rupture, arsenic good arsenic chap centre-back Lukas Pinckert, who is suspended arsenic a effect of the reddish paper helium picked up successful past October's 3-0 DFB-Pokal decision against Hertha Berlin.

Looking to capable the gaps, Wagner could enactment up with a pairing of Maximilian Rohr and Florian Le Joncour astatine centre-half, flanked by Lasse Gunther and Jan Gyamerah.

Further forward, near winger Tom Zimmerschied is dealing with backmost problems, truthful Cole Campbell, Noah Darvich and Lukas Petkov are apt to commencement down Lucas Schnellbacher.

Duisburg imaginable starting lineup:

Braune; Bitter, Fleckenstein, Schlicke, Coskun; Viet, Bulic; Symalla, Bookjans, Safi; Lobinger

Elversberg imaginable starting lineup:

Kristof; Gyamerah, Rohr, Le Joncour, Gunther; Keidel, Poreba; Petkov, Darvich, Campbell; Schnellbacher

We say: Duisburg 2-1 Elversberg

Duisburg are the underdogs successful this match, but their occurrence against Eredivisie absorption this summertime - arsenic good arsenic their fantabulous location grounds - suggests that they could propulsion disconnected an upset.

Elversberg besides enjoyed a beardown pre-season, but with 1 oculus connected their impending Bundesliga debut, the visitors whitethorn beryllium caught retired connected Saturday.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.