Munich 1860 vs Darmstadt

Munich 1860 and Darmstadt go head-to-head at the Grünwalder Stadion in the opening DFB Pokal round, with the sides experiencing contrasting fortunes in the early stage of the season.

After missing out on the play-off spots in the 3. Liga last season by the thinnest of margins, the hosts have started the new campaign with a win and a draw, notably keeping a clean sheet on each occasion. Bringing the 2020/21 season into the equation, Michael Köllner’s men are unbeaten in eight consecutive home matches across all competitions (W5, D3). Again, Munich’s rock-solid backline played a prominent role in building such an impressive streak, registering four shutouts during that eight-game sequence. Although they head into proceedings as the bookmakers’ favorites to progress into the next round, it’s worth noting that ‘Die Lowen’ have failed to beat Darmstadt in both competitive H2Hs in the 21st century (D2). Both previous meetings between the two have seen the identical 1-1 scoreline following the visitors’ 1-0 HT lead.

Meanwhile, the visitors have started the 2021/22 campaign with a whimper rather than a bang, having lost both competitive fixtures by over 1.5 goals ‘to nil.’ Darmstadt’s early showings this term represent a massive turnaround on their form down the final stretch of last season that had seen them put together five straight victories. Currently competing in the 2. Bundesliga, ‘Die Lilien’ will take on a side they have lost to only once across their last six encounters in all competitions (W3, D2). Yet, they will need to address their defensive woes to boost their chances of advancing to the next stage, having failed to record a single clean sheet across their last 12 competitive road trips.