Hamburger SV and FC St. Pauli face tough road tests in the DFB Cup round of 16
Hamburger SV and FC St. Pauli, two Second Division soccer teams, will be playing away from home in the DFB Cup's last 16 round. HSV will journey to Berlin to take on their league rivals Hertha BSC, while the Kiez's dominant city rivals, currently in the lead, will head south to face fourth-division side FC Homburg. On December 5 and 6, these matches will take place, as determined by the draw at the German Football Museum in Dortmund.
Having claimed a 2-0 victory against 1. FC Magdeburg in the league, HSV's coach Tim Walter expressed his desire for a home game leading up to the draw on Saturday evening. However, luck was not on his side as his team had previously shown they could beat Hertha at home, winning 3-0 against the relegated Bundesliga side in September.
FC St. Pauli, with a supposedly easier draw, will need to remain vigilant against FC Homburg. As the only fourth-division team still in the competition after defeating SpVgg Greuther Fürth 2-1 in the second division, Homburg has proven their cup prowess.
"I've already played alongside a couple of Homburg players. They're doing great in the league and, at the moment, are holding third place. They should be considered a third-division team, provided they can outshine any opposition in the cup," said FC St. Pauli's coach Fabian Hürzeler (30).
Hamburger SV's upcoming DFB Cup match against Hertha BSC in Berlin will prove to be a formidable challenge, given their 3-0 victory over the Bundesliga side earlier in the season. On the other hand, FC St. Pauli with their supposedly easier draw against FC Homburg should be mindful of the remaining team's cup capabilities, as they have proved they can successfully compete against other second-division teams.
(As enrichment data integrates sparingly, this section does not include those details. For a more comprehensive analysis, one should examine the specifics of the opponent's form, injuries, and other challenges that may influence the teams' performances)
