Upsets on the cards in DFB Pokal

Last year it was FC Heidenheim that ousted Werder Bremen while Elversburg skittled out Hannover the year before.

This time, the likes of FC Oberneuland, FC Notingen and FC Schonberg will be eyeing major scalps against Borussia Dortmund, Hannover and Wolfsburg respectively while Bayern Munich will not have an easy passage, either.

Last season's beaten finalist, desperate to win a trophy after an abstinence of two years, travels to Bavarian rival Jahn Regensburg in the pick of the first-round draw.

Regensburg, which was promoted to the second division last season, had pondered switching the game to Nurenberg to earn more from the biggest payday in its history, but instead the traditions and magic of a home cup tie in a compact stadium convinced it to stay put.

The Jahnstadion will have just shy of 13,000 fans packed in on Monday night, hoping for the biggest cup upset since nearby TSV Vestenbergsgreuth defeated the record German champion 1-0 in the first round in 1994.

Bayer Leverkusen also fell at the first hurdle last season to Dynamo Dresden and it has not been dealt a much easier task this year at Carl Zeiss Jena.

Hamburg, which struggled for much of last season, faces a tricky trip to Karlsruhe while Werder Bremen's new, rejuvenated team get its first major test of the season at third-division high-flyers Preussen Munster.

Meanwhile, the lowest-ranked side in the competition, Falkensee-Finkenburg from the sixth division, hosts Stuttgart, and Augsburg will be in action at SV Wilhelmshaven.