Bayer Leverkusen to host RB Leipzig in DFB-Pokal round of 16 in early December

Bayer Leverkusen will host RB Leipzig in the DFB-Pokal round of 16 on December 1 or 2, with Ibrahim Maza nominated for the Bundesliga Player of the Month award for October.

Bayer Leverkusen will host RB Leipzig in the DFB-Pokal round of 16 on December 1 or 2, 2026, at the BayArena. The high-profile cup tie has been scheduled, with ticket sales starting on Monday, November 9, at 12:00 CET. The Werkself, currently sixth in the Bundesliga with 13 points in the league table, aims to use the cup as a clear target to move on from a recent 2-4 home defeat to VfB Stuttgart. That loss on Saturday 31 October was part of a mixed recent run of three wins and two defeats from their last five league matches. The team has managed only one win in its last five competitive matches and is pursuing a seasonal target of 75 minutes of effective play per game in the league. Their league record of four wins, one draw and three losses from eight games leaves them five points off the top. Their goal difference of plus two, with 18 scored and 16 conceded, reflects this inconsistency.

This match against Leipzig is Leverkusen's first knockout round in this season's competition. Sporting director Simon Rolfes and the squad have stated reaching the final in Berlin on May 29, 2027, as their explicit goal. The next league assignment, however, is an away fixture at 1. The 13th-placed Köln present an opportunity to close the five-point gap to the league leaders. Ahead of this match, the team can rely on top scorer P. Schick, who has seven goals this season.

Maza up for Player of the Month

Alongside cup planning, there is an individual award to follow. Attacker Ibrahim Maza is among the six nominees for the Bundesliga Player of the Month award for October. The 20-year-old, who scored in the 2-4 loss to Stuttgart, was selected by the league and Electronic Arts (EA). Voting remains open until Sunday, November 8, at 23:59 CET. Also up for a vote is the Goal of the Month, for which Robert Andrich's volley and Moussa Diaby's long-range strike from the match against Mainz 05 are nominated.

International break and e-sports

Several first-team players will join up with their national teams during the final international break of the year. Meanwhile, the club's e-sports division played three matches in the VBL Club Championship on Tuesday night. The team drew against both FC Augsburg and VfB Stuttgart but lost to Bayern Munich.

Fan focus is now firmly on the cup match. The exact kick-off time for the home game against Leipzig is still to be confirmed, but the date window is set. Should Leverkusen advance, the quarter-finals on February 2-3 or 9-10 and the semi-finals on April 20-21 await. The team faces Leipzig in Leverkusen on December 1 or 2.