German Cup
2025-08-17 - Lokomotive Leipzig vs Schalke 04
A Sports Betting Pick by Niko
Football; Germany: DFB Pokal 1st Round
Bruno Plache Stadion- Leipzig
Sunday, 17th August 2025 - kickoff 15:30 CET
Lokomotive Leipzig
Lokomotive Leipzig are awaiting Schalke 04 with plenty of energy and enthusiasm. They finished first in the Regionalliga Nordost last season but lost in the promotion playoffs to TSV Havelse, meaning they remain in the fourth-tier competition in 2025/26.
Despite missing out on a promotion to 3.Liga, the team has kept morale high and is aiming to do well in this game. Their tight home support should give them a boost, and I expect Lokomotive Leipzig to play with intensity and try to catch Schalke 04 off guard early.
1st round cup games are always exciting for small clubs, so they will likely give their best in this game.
Regarding Lokomotive Leipzig’s competitive games so far, they played three games in their fourth-tier league, winning twice and drawing once.
Schalke 04
Schalke 04 come into this tie as clear favorites. Playing in the 2. Bundesliga for the second straight season, they have quality, experience, and depth across the pitch.
Early-round DFB Pokal games against lower-tier opposition are usually straightforward for them, but Schalke 04 won’t take this lightly - they know a slip-up would be embarrassing.
Expect Schalke 04 to control possession and patiently break down Lokomotive Leipzig’s compact defense, while maybe rotating a few players to keep the squad fresh.
Regarding their results before this game, Schalke 04 started their 2.Bundesliga campaign with a 2-1 win over Hertha Berlin and a 1-0 loss to Kaiserslautern, so they are still searching for form.
The Betting Verdict
Schalke 04 are tough to see losing here. Lokomotive Leipzig will be motivated and could create a few chances, but the gap in quality is obvious.
I’m leaning firmly toward a straight Schalke 04 win - they should handle this without major issues.
For a slightly more exciting angle, you could consider Schalke 04 to win with both teams scoring, since Lokomotive Leipzig will likely push forward early, but the main call is just backing Schalke 04 to win and progress.
The Pick :
Lokomotive Leipzig 1-2 Schalke 04
FIXED ODDS BETTING TIP :
Take Schalke 04 to win at odds of 1.58 with SportBet.One
