Preview: Energie Cottbus vs RB Leipzig - prediction, team news, lineups

Visitors RB Leipzig will hope to avoid an upset in the second round of the DFB-Pokal when they take on 3. Liga side Energie Cottbus at LEAG Energie Stadion on Tuesday.

The third-division hosts held onto an early 1-0 lead against Hannover 96 on August 16 in the first round, while their top-flight opponents overcame Sandhausen 4-2 on the same date.

Match preview

Energie Cottbus are making a strong push for the 2. Bundesliga, with the team occupying top spot in their league with 26 points after 12 matchweeks.

Their 4-3 triumph on Saturday against TSV Havelse means they have scored at least three goals in four of their past five outings, though they have kept just once clean sheet in seven games.

Claus-Dieter Wollitz's side were eliminated in the first round of the DFB-Pokal in each of their last eight forays into the competition, and they have not reached the third round since 2010-11, when they were beaten 2-1 in the semi-final by MSV Duisburg.

Energie Cottbus will be aiming for a sixth consecutive win when they face Leipzig, and a victory would also be their eighth in nine.

The hosts are yet to experience defeat at home this campaign, winning five and drawing two of their seven matches at LEAG Energie Stadion.

Leipzig will be buoyed by their 6-0 win against Augsburg on Saturday, a game that they led 4-0 in by the 38th minute.

The visitors boast a strong history in the DFB-Pokal, reaching the semi-final stage in 2024-25, while claiming the trophy itself in 2021-22 and 2022-23.

Head coach Ole Werner's side are second in the Bundesliga with 19 points from a possible 24, and they trail first-placed Bayern Munich by five points.

Die Roten Bullen are undefeated in seven games, emerging as victors on six occasions while scoring 16 times and conceding three goals.

Leipzig have triumphed in three of their four most recent away fixtures, settling for a stalemate in the other match in that period, and their only loss in their six games on the road this season was against Bayern on August 22.

Energie Cottbus DFB-Pokal form:

Energie Cottbus form (all competitions):

RB Leipzig DFB-Pokal form:

RB Leipzig form (all competitions):

Team News

Energie Cottbus are likely to name a similar lineup to the team that started against Hannover 96, so perhaps centre-backs Tim Campulka and Nyamekye Awortwie-Grant will shield goalkeeper Alexander Sebald.

Striker Erik Engelhardt has scored seven goals in his last six games for the club, and he will be keen to prove he can also perform against top-flight opposition.

Leipzig should have enough conviction in their quality to make several changes to the team that beat Augsburg, with El Chadaille Bitshiabu and Lukas Klostermann candidates to come into central defence.

First-choice striker Romulo is set to be rested for Conrad Harder, and the 20-year-old may be flanked by Tidiam Gomis and Antonio Nusa.

Andrija Maksimovic is likely to be considered an option in the middle of the pitch, and he may be joined by Xaver Schlager and Kevin Kampl.

Energie Cottbus possible starting lineup:

Sebald; Rorig, Campulka, Awortwie-Grant, Guwara; Hofmann, Pelivan, Borgmann; Cigerci, Engelhardt, Butler

RB Leipzig possible starting lineup:

Vandevoordt; Baku, Bitshiabu, Klostermann, Raum; Maksimovic, Kampl, Schlager; Gomis, Romulo, Nusa

We say: Energie Cottbus 1-3 RB Leipzig

Energie Cottbus are in fine form, and their goalscoring prowess suggests they could cause the Bundesliga visitors problems on Tuesday.

However, it is difficult to see anything other than a RB Leipzig victory given they are in strong form themselves, and their quality should be too much to overcome.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.