Preview: Atlas Delmenhorst vs Borussia Monchengladbach - prediction, team news, lineups

Atlas Delmenhorst will hope to cause an upset in the first round of the DFB-Pokal when they welcome Borussia Monchengladbach to Marschwegstadion on Sunday.

The hosts are an amateur side currently in the Oberliga Niederrhein - the fifth tier of German football - and their Bundesliga opponents will begin their top-flight campaign on August 24 against Hamburger SV after having finished 10th in 2024-25.

Match preview

Atlas are second after one matchweek in their regional division, beating Borussia 06 Hildesheim 5-1 on August 10.

The club did compete in the third tier for three seasons from 1995, but they have never been higher since, and they in fact competed in the ninth division of German football as recently as 2012-13.

Boss Key Riebau's team do not have an extensive history in the DFB-Pokal having only made three appearances in the competition, the first in 1980–81, the second in 2019–20 and the third in 2023-24, exiting at the round of 16 stage once and first round twice.

Riebau has only experienced one loss in his last 17 competitive matches in charge, overseeing 12 victories in that period.

The hosts are winless in their three most recent outings at home, drawing twice and losing once while conceding six goals.

Borussia Monchengladbach's 2024-25 league season can be described as one of progress considering their points tally of 45 was 11 more than they totalled in 2023-24, and was their joint most in their past four campaigns.

The visitors were perhaps fortunate from a defensive perspective last season, as while they conceded 57 goals - the joint sixth-best record in the bottom 11 - they faced the most xG of any team in the top flight (64.3).

Head coach Gerardo Seoane's side were knocked out in the second round of the DFB-Pokal by Eintracht Frankfurt last term in October 2024, but they did reach the quarter-finals in two of their previous four seasons.

Die Fohlen have played seven matches in preparation for 2025-26, and they scored at least two goals in six of those clashes, including when they drew 2-2 with Brentford on August 8.

Borussia Monchengladbach ended the most recent season in poor form away from home, suffering three consecutive defeats on the road and drawing their prior outing.

Atlas Delmenhorst form (all competitions):

Borussia Monchengladbach friendly form:

Team News

Atlas goalkeeper Kilian Sanden could be stationed behind a back three of Jonas Eilers, Dylan Burke and Linus Urban.

Ibrahim Temin and Philipp Eggersgluss may start as wing-backs, while Tobias Fagerstrom, Josip Tomic and Joel Schallschmidt are likely to play in midfield.

Meanwhile, Borussia Monchengladbach will hope that newcomer Kevin Diks can perform well in the heart of defence next to Nico Elvedi.

Rocco Reitz and Julian Weigl were stalwarts in midfield last term, and they can be pencilled into the starting XI behind number 10 Kevin Stoger.

Striker Haris Tabakovic is the most probable candidate to start up front considering Tim Kleindienst is injured, and he may be supported by wingers Franck Honorat and Grant-Leon Ranos.

Atlas Delmenhorst possible starting lineup:

Sanden; Urban, Burke, Eilers; Temin, Fagerstrom, Tomic, Schallschmidt, Eggersgluss; Poplawski, Diop

Borussia Monchengladbach possible starting lineup:

Nicolas; Scally, Elvedi, Diks, Netz; Reitz, Weigl; Honorat, Stoger, Ranos; Tabakovic

We say: Atlas Delmenhorst 0-3 Borussia Monchengladbach

Atlas will be delighted to participate in their fourth ever DFB-Pokal campaign, though they will likely not advance further than the first round.

Borussia Monchengladbach boast a superior squad, rank four divisions higher and have more pedigree in the competition, so anything other than an away victory would be a surprise.

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