Bayern Munich has learned their opponent for the DFB-Pokal Round of 16, and the defending champions will welcome Hertha BSC to the Allianz Arena on December 1st or 2nd.
On paper, this is a favorable draw for the Bavarians. Bayern Munich avoids another Bundesliga heavyweight and will have home-field advantage against a second-division opponent. However, Hertha Berlin should not be underestimated. The Berlin club currently leads the 2. Bundesliga and has genuine ambitions of returning to the top flight.
Bayern Munich will be the overwhelming favorites, but they will need to approach this match seriously if they want to keep their title defense on track.
There are some fascinating matchups elsewhere in the draw, too.
The standout fixture is undoubtedly Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Borussia Dortmund, a repeat of the 2017 DFB-Pokal final, which Dortmund won 2-1. Both clubs will have ambitions of making a deep cup run, but one will be eliminated before the quarterfinals.
Bayer Leverkusen vs. RB Leipzig is another blockbuster, guaranteeing that another Bundesliga heavyweight will exit the competition. Meanwhile, VfB Stuttgart face Dynamo Dresden, who have already eliminated Schalke and will fancy their chances of causing another upset.
Elsewhere, Borussia Mönchengladbach host Darmstadt, Kaiserslautern welcome Freiburg, Holstein Kiel face Köln, and Augsburg travel to Bochum.
Overall, Bayern Munich could certainly have received a more difficult draw, particularly with Frankfurt-Dortmund and Leverkusen-Leipzig taking place elsewhere.
The objective is simple — defend the trophy and take another step toward Berlin!
Below is the full list of fixtures for the Round of 16:
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