Rot-Weiss Essen travel to 1. FC Bocholt on Tuesday (7 pm, RevierSport-Liveticker). RWE wants to enter the Niederrheinpokal final with a win.

The goal in the Lower Rhine Cup is clear, as coach Christoph Dabrowski has emphasised since the first round: Rot-Weiss Essen wants the title, which would be trophy number ten in the Association Cup, and to take part in the DFB Cup again in 2023/2024.

To do so, RWE must beat 1. FC Bocholt on Tuesday (7 p.m., RevierSport live ticker) and, if they advance, defeat Rot-Weiß Oberhausen in the final.

“I expect a similar game to the one in Wuppertal. We will face a highly motivated opponent on a difficult pitch to play on. Our antennae are definitely out,” says Dabrowski.

The 44-year-old Essen football coach will have to do without three players for the cup clash at the venerable Stadion am Hünting. Felix Götze (flu infection), Björn Rother and Michel Niemeyer (both rehab). While Götze is unlikely to play against SC Freiburg II next weekend, Rother and Niemeyer could be an option again against the Breisgau side.

Regardless of which team will be on the pitch on Tuesday night. Dabrowski appeals to his charges. Dabrowski: “We must not allow ourselves any slackness. We have to work with concentration. In Bocholt, it won’t come down to magic football or a nice short passing game, but the things that are decisive on the pitch, the basic virtues. We can expect a real cup match.”

With Jeffrey Obst, Marcel Platzek, Kevin Grund, Gino Windmüller and loan player Sascha Voelcke, the Bocholt side have five men in their squad who once wore the RWE jersey. Dabrowski: “Games against your former club are always something special. They will all be really hot. I don’t think anyone will give us a present out of loyalty. We’ll have to work very hard for that ourselves. “