Preview: Season opener in Braunschweig | OneFootball

It’s Eintracht against Eintracht as the Eagles travel to Braunschweig in the first round of the DFB Cup. Boss Dino Toppmöller says his players “are all really in the mood for football”.

Backdrop

Three months and a day since their final game of the 2023/24 season on 18 May, the Eagles kick off their 2024/25 campaign with a trip to the EINTRACHT-STADION, where they will take on second-division Eintracht Braunschweig in the first round of the DFB Cup. The game on Monday 19 August gets under way at 20:45 CEST.

“We’re all really in the mood for football,” head coach Dino Toppmöller said as he addressed over 20,000 Eagles supporters during Sunday’s Eintracht Family Day at Deutsche Bank Park. “When you see what’s happening again here, you really look forward to the new season. Pre-season has been good and intensive. We now need to add the finishing touches this week and then it starts in Braunschweig.”

Braunschweig with two defeats

The Eagles’ opponents have already started their league campaign, losing their first two games 5-1 away to Schalke 04 and 3-1 at home to 1. FC Magdeburg. “We had a lot of upheaval in the summer and lost a lot of key players,” said head coach Daniel Scherning after their most recent setback. “The squad obviously has to settle and we simply have to put a lot more effort in than we did [against Magdeburg]. We have a new structure and a new hierarchy in the squad, which can’t be set in stone after six weeks of preparatons and two weeks of the new season.”

Matanovic fires warning

One Eintracht player who visited the EINTRACHT-STADION last season – in Karlsruher SC colours – is Igor Matanovic. “Honestly, it’s one of the most difficult draws we could have got,” said the Frankfurt striker. “I know what we’re up against. It’s going to be a battle, not a beauty contest. Braunschweig won’t be happy just sitting back – they can be dangerous going forward too. We need to be ready for everything. Preventing them from hitting us on the break is going to be important, as will set plays.”