Last year’s final will now be played in the last 16 of the U19 DFB Cup. No luck of the draw for Schalke 04.

Only FC Schalke from the Ruhr area is now in the round of 16 of the U19 DFB Cup. VfL Bochum did not qualify, BVB was eliminated from the competition in the first round with a remarkable 0:6 at TSG Hoffenheim.

Therefore, only FC Schalke is still in the round of the last 16 teams. And looking at the draw, coach Norbert Elgert’s team will have to really stretch themselves in the round of 16 if they want to reach the quarter-finals.

Because in the draw, the fairy godmother and ex-professional Hann Balitsch chose 1. FC Köln as their opponents. After all, they will be playing in Gelsenkirchen, otherwise this banger could also be the final. Which it was last season – FC won 4:3 after extra time.

Now the rematch, after Schalke won its first round match at VfB Lübeck 7:2, Cologne won 5:3 after extra time at Werder Bremen.

There will also be a city derby between Berliner AK and Hertha BSC in Berlin and a clash between German senior champions 1. FSV Mainz 05 and 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the south-west. “I’m a big fan of derbies,” Balitsch said after the draw. “In addition, the Schalke vs Cologne match is interesting because both clubs have international players in their ranks.”

In the U19 Bundeslöiga West, Cologne are in second place with ten points after four matchdays, while Schalke have seven points and greet from fifth place.

The round of 16 is scheduled for 7 October and the quarter-finals for 17 December. In the new year 2024, the semi-finals are scheduled for 16 March and the final for 24 May. The junior final will take place one day before the men’s DFB Cup final.

The cup semi-finals in the overview

Berliner AK – Hertha BSC

SV Sandhausen – Bayer 04 Leverkusen

FC Carl Zeiss Jena – Hamburger SV

FC Energie Cottbus – SC Freiburg

SpVgg Greuther Fürth – VfL Wolfsburg

1. FSV Mainz 05 – 1. FC Kaiserslautern

Fortuna Düsseldorf – TSG Hoffenheim

FC Schalke 04 – 1. FC Köln