Overview
- Top‑division sides largely progressed in the first round with Bayer Leverkusen beating SV Wehen Wiesbaden 4-0 and FC Augsburg edging Energie Cottbus 2-0, and other Bundesliga favourites also advancing on Saturday.
- Carles Martínez won his first competitive match as Leverkusen coach in Wiesbaden, while the club’s recent midweek decision to remove Robert Andrich as captain left Andrich watching from a loge and reportedly seeking a new club.
- Friday’s Waldhof Mannheim versus 1. FC Kaiserslautern derby exploded into heavy clashes that left many injured and prompted the DFB to warn of potential sanctions and local police to review security responses.
- Police in Hamburg dispersed a group of about 150 HSV supporters at Klein Flottbek who were thought to be travelling to a Werder Bremen fixture, and several clubs issued explicit travel warnings for away fans for the opening round.
- Organised supporter groups announced plans to protest the Video Assistant Referee during the VAR‑free early rounds and the DFB’s published prize money — €211,886 for round one doubling each round up to €4,320,000 for the winner — highlights why early Cup progress matters financially for smaller clubs.