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1. FSV Mainz 05 will play their first competitive match of the 2022/23 season away against Erzgebirge Aue, who were recently relegated from the second division. The draw for the first round of the DFB-Pokal was made on Sunday evening at the German Football Museum. The 32 matches will be played between 29th July and 1st August.
The clash in the Erzgebirge will be a rematch of the first-round encounter from the 2018/19 season, when FSV, playing a man down for 87 minutes after an early red card for Moussa Niakhaté, ran out 3-1 winners thanks to a brace from Alex Maxim and a Robin Quaison strike. FSV also won the same fixture at the same stage in 2001 (2-1 aet., goals from Voronin and Hock). Additionally, the 05ers beat Aue 2-0 at home in the second round in 2012 (goals from Malli and Ivanschitz).
Sporting director Christian Heidel on the draw: “This is the third time that we’re playing Aue in the first round and we know that it’s not an easy task. As well as that, it’s a relatively new stadium that is known for its good atmosphere. We’re going up against a side who has been in the second division for a long time and after suffering relegation recently, will want to begin their season as well as possible. We will be prepared for that. As the first-division team and the favourite in the tie, of course we have the ambition to overcome this hurdle, reach the second round and boost our self-confidence with a good performance one week ahead of the start of the Bundesliga.”
