Preview:Hertha Berlin vs Elversberg - prediction, team news, lineups

The Olympiastadion Berlin is set to be the backdrop for an all-2.Bundesliga clash in the DFB-Pokal on Tuesday, when in-form Hertha Berlin welcome Elversberg.

Die Alte Dame are looking for a fifth win in six games, while the visitors are hoping to recover from defeat last time out.

Match preview

Stefan Leitl's Hertha kicked off their campaign with two draws and two defeats from their opening four league games, but with four wins across their six second-tier matches since, they come into this clash with momentum.

On Saturday, Die Alte Dame picked up another three points with a 1-0 victory over Fortuna Dusseldorf, thanks to a dramatic 96th-minute winner from Bayern Munich loanee Maurice Krattenmacher.

That triumph helped Leith's side reduce the gap between themselves and their opponents in the playoff spot, though they are still in eighth place, eight points behind after only 10 games.

Back on August 29, Hertha were beaten 2-0 by Elversberg at this very same ground, and reversing the result on Tuesday would serve as a psychological marker of the team's progress in recent weeks.

With that goal in mind, the hosts will also draw confidence from the fact that they have won back-to-back home games in the buildup to this tie, not to mention that they have only lost two of their last 12 matches at the Olympiastadion.

Meanwhile, after making an excellent start to the campaign, Vincent Wagner's Elversberg are hoping that this can finally be the season they reach the Bundesliga.

The visitors have won seven, drawn one and lost two of their 10 league clashes to date, an impressive showing that has the club third in the second tier, and saw them put together a seven-game unbeaten run - featuring six wins and one stalemate - between August 22 and October 19.

That streak of form was brought to an end this past Saturday, when Arminia Bielefeld downed Wagner's men 2-0, a result that was consolidated by an own-goal from Florian Le Joncour within the opening half an hour.

Looking to strike back before their early-season momentum is lost, Elversberg will be glad to be up against a team that they have already defeated this season, and Younes Ebnoutalib should be on hand to pose a threat after he notched a brace during the 2-0 win over Hertha August.

The visitors will also take heart from the fact that they have won four of their last five competitive away matches, starting with a 1-0 victory on the road against third-tier SSV Ulm in the previous round of the DFB-Pokal.

Hertha Berlin DFB-Pokal form:

Hertha Berlin form (all competitions):

Elversberg DFB-Pokal form:

Elversberg form (all competitions):

Team News

Hertha are set to be missing as many as five players in midweek, though all of striker Dawid Kownacki, full-back Deyovaisio Zeefuik, midfielders Leon Jensen and Pascal Klemens, and goalkeeper Tim Goller are expected to be back in action in early November.

In their absence, Tjark Ernst could start between the sticks, while Linus Gechter and Michal Karbownik operate at full-back, and Jan Luca Schuler continues up top, supported this time by Maurice Krattenmacher, who came off the bench to score the winner against Fortuna.

As for Elversberg, midfielder Carlo Sickinger and the versatile Daniel Pantschenko are out for a few days with illness, while striker Luca Pfeiffer, who is also under the weather, is not scheduled to return until the start of next month.

With that in mind, Lukasz Poreba and Amara Conde could form a double pivot on Tuesday, backing up attacking midfielder Frederik Schmahl behind frontman Younes Ebnoutalib.

Elsewhere, centre-half Luis Seifert continues to work his way back from a groin injury, and Maximilian Rohr should be ready to start alongside Florian Le Joncour at the heart of the visitors' defence.

Hertha Berlin possible starting lineup:

Ernst; Gechter, Leistner, Dardai, Karbownik; Eichorn, Seguin; Reese, Krattenmacher, Winkler; Schuler

Elversberg possible starting lineup:

Kristof; Keidel, Rohr, Joncour, Gunther; Conde, Poreba; Petkov, Schmahl, Zimmerschied; Ebnoutalib

We say: Hertha Berlin 2-1 Elversberg

Hertha may have been beaten by Elversberg earlier this season, but they have found form since then and will represent a much greater challenge this time around.

Additionally, the hosts have won consecutive home games leading up to this tie, while the visitors saw their own momentum halted on the road last time out.

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