RB Leipzig vs Wolfsburg

A place in the DFB-Pokal semi-finals is up for grabs as RB Leipzig and Wolfsburg go head-to-head in a mouth-watering quarter-final tie at the Red Bull Arena. 

Already out of the Champions League and left behind in the Bundesliga top-four race after back-to-back draws, Leipzig may find this DFB-Pokal match-up a welcome distraction. Indeed, since lifting their first piece of top-tier silverware in this competition in 2021/22, they’ve gone on a tear and will aim to add a third trophy in four seasons. Since the beginning of their trophy-winning campaign, Marco Rose’s charges have won 16 of their 17 DFB-Pokal fixtures, including the last two against fellow top-flight opposition. Furthermore, Leipzig’s scoring prowess has been off the charts as they scored 3+ goals in three of their four most recent DFB-Pokal wins, complementing their encouraging six-game unbeaten home streak in domestic competitions (W4, D2).

Meanwhile, Wolfsburg shouldn’t be intimidated by Leipzig’s DFB-Pokal run, considering they’re the only side to beat them in this competition in almost four years. Moreover, Ralph Hasenhuttl’s charges head into proceedings having lost just one of their last eight outings (W3, D4), though those four draws came in five matches since a 3-2 loss at Bayern Munich in mid-January. Worryingly, since lifting the DFB-Pokal in 2014/15, ‘Die Wolfe’ have failed to progress beyond the quarter-finals, including two defeats at this stage without scoring. Confidence stems from Wolfsburg’s 5-1 league victory on this ground in November as they bid to win back-to-back away H2Hs for the first time.