How to Watch DFB-Pokal 1st Round : Free Live Stream & Kick-Off Time all in Preview

Venue: Professor-Reinmüller-Platz

Local Kick-off Time: Sep 1, 2026 7.45pm

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HEBC Hamburg

Amateur Status & Historic Occasion: The Hamburg-based amateur outfit earned their ticket to the DFB-Pokal courtesy of a historic Hamburg Cup triumph in May and have been granted special permission to host this marquee clash at Hamburger SV's iconic Volksparkstadion. Operating as a purely amateur club where none of the 28 first-team squad members draw a salary, the financial and competitive gulf between them and their top-flight opponents could not be more pronounced.

Historical Context & Tactical Aim: Head coach Philipp Obloch will lead his side out for only the second DFB-Pokal tie in the club's entire history. Having suffered a heavy 7-0 defeat to Eimsbütteler TV in their only previous cup outing back in the 1934–35 campaign, HEBC's primary objective will be defensive resilience and avoiding a landslide scoreline against elite opposition.

Predicted Lineup & Defensive Setup: Goalkeeper Nils Ahmann is expected to start behind a compact three-man central defense featuring Bastian Stech, Janek Wrede, and Julius Stegemann. To provide additional defensive shielding, Obloch will likely deploy a reinforced midfield trio comprising Laurel Aug, Semir Demirović, and Piet Oldag.

Borussia Dortmund

Form & Cup Pedigree: Following a narrow 2-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in the DFL-Supercup, Niko Kovač’s side swiftly rebounded with a composed 2-0 Bundesliga opening-day victory over Hamburger SV. The five-time DFB-Pokal winners boast an exceptional first-round pedigree, having avoided an opening-round elimination since the 2005–06 season, though Kovač will be eager to end a recent slump that has seen Dortmund fail to progress past the round of 16 since 2023–24.

Away Form & Momentum: Tuesday's encounter marks Dortmund's first competitive fixture away from Signal Iduna Park in the 2026–27 campaign, with BVB aiming to secure their third victory in four matches across all competitions.

Squad Rotation & Team News: Kovač is poised to implement sweeping rotations across his starting XI to manage workloads. Young midfielder Enzo Duarte is in line to orchestrate play in the engine room, while Konstantinos Karetsas, Mathis Albert, and Fábio Silva are tipped to form a dynamic attacking unit. However, the victory against HSV came at a cost, with attacker Giannis Konstantelias facing an extended spell on the sidelines after sustaining significant ligament damage.