RB Leipzig will be aiming to defend their DFB-Pokal title when they take on Eintracht Frankfurt in the final at the Olympiastadion in Berlin on Saturday.

Frankfurt, meanwhile, could move level with Werder Bremen on six German domestic cup triumphs, which would leave them behind only Bayern Munich as the competition's joint-second most successful team in history.

Match preview

RB Leipzig's Christopher Nkunku pictured on May 2, 2023 © Reuters

Leipzig, of course, secured their first ever major trophy by beating Freiburg on penalties in a dramatic final last season, with Christopher Nkunku levelling the tie late on despite Marcel Halstenberg being sent off after his side had already fallen behind.

Die Roten Bullen defeated Christian Streich's side once again, this time around at the semi-final stage to make it to their third consecutive cup final, although it was a much more comfortable affair as they ran out 5-1 winners at Europa-Park Stadion.

Marco Rose's side should head into Saturday's final with plenty of confidence after winning seven of their final eight Bundesliga games to ensure that they will compete in the Champions League for the fifth successive campaign, with Nkunku potentially set to play for his final game for the club after bagging a brace against relegated Schalke 04 last time out.

Indeed, after suffering a dreadful start to the season under Domenico Tedesco, there is little doubt that Leipzig have hugely improved under the stewardship of Rose, who boasts a 67.5% win rate from his 40 games in charge in all competitions since taking over in early September.

The 46-year-old will be desperate to win his first ever trophy as a manager in Germany, with the fact that he is leading the major club from his home city only adding to the romance of the story potentially set to unfold this weekend.

Eintracht Frankfurt's Randal Kolo Muani celebrates scoring their first goal on January 25, 2023 © Reuters

However, Oliver Glasner and his players will certainly attempt to put a stop to the DFB-Pokal holders retaining their title, as Frankfurt look to win their second major trophy in two seasons after sensationally lifting the Europa League in Glasner's first season in charge.

After qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in the club's history by beating Rangers on penalties last May, Die Adler ensured that they will compete in Europe once again by snatching seventh spot away from Wolfsburg's grasp via Eric Junior Dina Ebimbe's injury-time winner against Freiburg on the final day.

Whether they will represent Germany in the Europa League or Europa Conference League next season comes down to their result in Saturday's cup final: victory against Leipzig would take them into the Europa League once again, but defeat would see them only make it to the Europa Conference League.

Ultimately, that is all secondary to the possibility of lifting a major honour once again, with Glasner almost certainly relieved that his players managed to rediscover some form in recent weeks.

Indeed, Frankfurt had endured a winless run of 10 league games, while their 3-2 win against Stuttgart in the DFB-Pokal semi-final remains their only victory on the road from their last 13 trips.

Considering that Saturday's final is being played at a neutral venue in the capital, Frankfurt's recent reliance on their home support at Deutsche Bank Park could prove to be their undoing against Leipzig, although under Glasner they have frequently displayed an ability to get the job done when it matters most.

RB Leipzig DFB-Pokal form:

RB Leipzig form (all competitions):

Eintracht Frankfurt DFB-Pokal form:

Eintracht Frankfurt form (all competitions):

Team News

RB Leipzig's Josko Gvardiol is shown a red card by referee Sven Jablonski on May 2, 2023 © Reuters

Leipzig suffered a blow in training during the week, with former Frankfurt forward Andre Silva set to miss out on the chance of scoring against his former club after incurring a serious thigh injury, which could see him miss the start of pre-season.

The Portugal striker was unlikely to start in any case after enduring a difficult second season at the club, having been left on the bench during his side's 4-2 win against Schalke last weekend.

First-choice goalkeeper Peter Gulasci remains sidelined due to a serious ACL injury, with Jan Blaswich likely to be preferred to Orjan Nyland between the posts, despite the former Aston Villa stopper being handed a chance on the final day of the Bundesliga season.

Josko Gvardiol, who has been linked with a move away from Leipzig ahead of the summer transfer window, is suspended after being sent off in the semi-final against Freiburg. Lukas Klostermann appears set to partner Willi Orban at the heart of their defence after both starting together last weekend.

Frankfurt, meanwhile, must decide whether to select Daichi Kamada - who appears set to join AC Milan on a free transfer this summer - or club captain Sebastian Rode alongside Switzerland international Djibril Sow at the base of their midfield.

Given Leipzig's ability to produce rapid counter-attacks, Rode may be preferred by Glasner as a more solid option, meaning that Kamada could make his final appearance for the club from the bench at some stage.

Despite scoring a hugely important late winner against Freiburg after coming on as a second half substitute, Ebimbe may have to be patient after only recently returning from a long-term injury, but Glasner certainly has plenty of options in the wing-back roles with Philipp Max and Ansgar Knauff also available to call upon if required.

However, the former Wolfsburg boss will remain without the services of Lucas Alario and Hrvoje Smolcic due to ongoing knee issues.

RB Leipzig possible starting lineup:
Blaswich; Simakan, Orban, Klostermann, Halstenberg; Laimer, Haidara; Szoboszlai, Olmo; Nkunku, Werner

Eintracht Frankfurt possible starting lineup:
Trapp; Tuta, Hasebe, Ndicka; Buta, Rode, Sow, Lenz; Lindstrom, Gotze; Kolo Muani

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We say: RB Leipzig 3-1 Eintracht Frankfurt

Both teams are capable of producing excellent offensive football on their day, which should help produce a thrilling DFB-Pokal final in the German capital on Saturday.

However, there is little doubt that Leipzig head into this match in considerably superior form across recent months, while they clearly possess more match-winners at their disposal. As such, we expect them to retain the trophy in regular time.

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