Borussia Dortmund vs Bayer Leverkusen DFB-Pokal preview: Team news and predicted lineups

Team news, predicted lineups and key insights ahead of Tuesday’s DFB-Pokal round of 16 clash between Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen.

Just three days after locking horns in the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen will face off again, only this time in the DFB-Pokal round of 16 and at Signal Iduna Park instead of the BayArena.

Having secured a 2-1 win in Saturday’s Bundesliga clash, Dortmund will aim to make it two victories in a row against Die Werkself on Tuesday, while Leverkusen will be eager for revenge.

Both coaches are expecting a tough encounter.

“We were pushed to our limits on Saturday, and that will be the case again tomorrow,” said Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovac at his pre-match press conference. 

“It was close, but we deserved to win. Now it’s a new game, and it will be difficult. The small details will decide the match.”

Leverkusen coach Kasper Hjulmand said:

“It’s special to play the same opponent twice in three days. We expect another close game with few differences. We know the opponent, and they know us. Dortmund has a clear style of play. It will be difficult for both sides to surprise each other.”

Reflecting on Saturday’s defeat, Hjulmand added:

“In many areas, we were on an equal footing. The little things that didn’t go right, we now have to do better.”

Apart from Niklas Süle (toe), Kovac should have his full squad available, with Maximilian Beier and Salih Özcan expected to be back.

For Leverkusen, Lucas Vázquez, Arthur, Ezequiel Fernández and Exequiel Palacios remain unavailable, while Axel Tape will possibly make his return to the squad, according to Hjulmand.

Click here to see our predicted Borussia Dortmund vs. Bayer Leverkusen lineups.