Duisburg vs Elversberg – News and Probable Lineups

This Saturday, Bundesliga newcomers Elversberg will be visiting third-tier Duisburg at Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena for a first-round match in the DFB-Pokal.

The Zebras are motivated after a strong start to their season, while the Black and White will be commencing their competitive journey this weekend.

Match overview

After finishing fourth in the 2025-26 season of the 3. Liga, Dietmar Hirsch’s Duisburg secured their place in the DFB-Pokal, narrowly missing promotion playoffs.

Recovering from that near miss, the Zebras kicked off their 2026-27 season with back-to-back league victories, triumphing over Meppen 3-0 on August 8 and following that up with a 4-2 win against Verl a week later. The club hopes to capitalize on their important cup placement.

However, it’s worth noting that Hirsch’s team has not participated in the DFB-Pokal in the past six seasons, so their performance against top-tier rivals this weekend remains uncertain.

Nonetheless, based on Duisburg’s pre-season performances, where they managed to defeat Eredivisie side NEC Nijmegen 3-2 on July 8, and hold Sparta Rotterdam to a 0-0 draw on August 1, they might put in a commendable display.

Adding to the Zebras’ confidence is their impressive home form; they are currently on a staggering 26 competitive matches unbeaten as hosts, a remarkable streak dating back to a 4-3 loss to FC Gutersloh in December 2024.

On the other hand, Vincent Wagner’s Elversberg is gearing up for their inaugural Bundesliga campaign, and the cup match this Saturday will mark the beginning of what is expected to be a historic season.

To prepare for the leap into top-flight football, the Black and White organized friendly matches against tough opponents over the summer, and their manager is likely pleased with the performances, including a striking 5-2 victory over Strasbourg on August 4.

Elversberg also convincingly defeated Ligue 1 side Lorient with a score of 4-1 in their previous outing, taking an early lead through Lukasz Poreba and scoring three more goals in the second half after Mamadou Kone equalized.

This recent win means that Elversberg heads into this weekend’s first round with only one loss in their last eight matches overall, having achieved five victories and two draws during that span.

Ultimately, the visitors are favored to advance on Saturday, considering the disparity between the divisions of the teams, as they have reached the second round in three of the last four seasons.

Team News

Duisburg is largely fit ahead of this weekend’s clash, although left winger Dennis Borkowski, who has just returned to full training after a calf injury, remains uncertain as he builds up his fitness.

If the 24-year-old is not fit enough to feature, Ramien Safi is expected to start on the left side of the attack alongside Jakob Bookjans and Jan-Simon Symalla, forming an attacking trio that will support striker Lex-Tyger Lobinger.

In addition, left-back Frederik Christensen has participated in some team drills but is still a doubt after missing portions of the club’s preparation period, likely leading to Can Coskun and Joshua Bitter starting as full-backs.

For Elversberg, they will be without Luis Seifert due to a syndesmosis ligament injury, as well as fellow center-back Lukas Pinckert, who is serving a suspension following a red card received in last October’s 3-0 exit from the DFB-Pokal against Hertha Berlin.

To address these absences, Wagner may opt for a center-back pairing of Maximilian Rohr and Florian Le Joncour, with Lasse Gunther and Jan Gyamerah positioned as full-backs.

Further up the pitch, left winger Tom Zimmerschied is experiencing back issues, which may lead to Cole Campbell, Noah Darvich, and Lukas Petkov starting behind Lucas Schnellbacher.

Duisburg probable starting XI:

Tan; Bitter, Fleckenstein, Silt, Coskun; Viet, Bulic; Symalla, Bookjans, Safi; Lobinger

Elversberg probable starting XI:

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

Duisburg might be seen as the underdogs in this encounter, yet their recent successes against Eredivisie opponents during the summer, coupled with their strong home record, suggest a potential upset could be on the cards.

While Elversberg has enjoyed a solid preparation period, their focus on the upcoming Bundesliga season could leave them vulnerable this Saturday.