The first round of the 2017/18 DFB-Pokal has been decided. Sebastian Kehl was on hand in Dortmund’s Museum of Football to help with the draw, including a pick which saw hopeful sixth-tier underdogs 1. FC Rielasingen-Arlen draw defending champions Borussia Dortmund. Sportfreunde Dorfmerkingen were also lucky enough to draw Bundesliga runners-up RB Leipzig, whilst record champions Bayern München will travel to third-tier Chemintzer FC’s stadium. DFB-Pokal finalists Eintracht Frankfurt will begin their renewed title challenge with a game against Regionalliga outfit TuS Erndtebrück.

The draw, as always, produced some interesting storylines to come as DFB President Reinhard Grindel watched on, including a rematch of the 1996/1997 final when Energie Cottbus played against newly-promoted VfB Stuttgart, who won the title with current Germany manager Joachim Löw as manager. Borussia Mönchengladbach travel to Regionalliga side Rot-Weiss Essen in a derby in the West of Germany, whilst Schalke 04 will play their first game of the season under new manager Domenico Tedesco against the Regionalliga’s BFC Dynamo. Hamburger SV travel to third-tier side VfL Osnabrück, and Oberliga outfit Leher SV will have a challenge on their hands when they come up against 1. FC Köln. The draw features four games in which two 2. Bundesliga teams will face off against each other.

The first-round games will be played sometime between the dates of 11th and 14th August, with the exact dates to be confirmed later down the line. The final is scheduled for May 19th 2018, in Berlin’s Olympiastadion.

The draw

3. Liga vs. Bundesliga

VfL Osnabrück - Hamburger SV

1. FC Magdeburg - FC Augsburg

Chemnitzer FC - FC Bayern München

FC Hansa Rostock - Hertha BSC