Xabi Alonso’s in-form Bayer Leverkusen will head to Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld on Wednesday to face fourth-division team Carl Zeiss Jena in the opening round of the DFB-Pokal.
Carl Zeiss Jena has had a strong start to the 2024-25 season, leading the Regionalliga Northeast with 15 points from their first five matches. In contrast, Bayer Leverkusen currently sits fourth in the Bundesliga, having earned three points from their one game.
Carl Zeiss Jena, who dropped to the fourth tier at the end of the 2019-20 season, narrowly missed out on promotion in both the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. This year, they aim to secure the top spot and earn promotion back to the third tier.
