The knockout matches for the upcoming final day of the DFB-ePokal Qualifier powered by ERGO have been drawn, and two matches with big names stand out.
The final of the preliminary round features a number of teams that are hardly known in the eSports scene. Whether SV Vorwärts Hülsen, SV Hertha Buschhoven or SpVgg Haiderbach – numerous blank slates are fighting for a place in the main round on 31 March and 1 April. A single victory would be enough.
Of the 40 qualifiers from the Regional Qualifiers, the National Association Trophies and the Club Qualifier, 20 teams will advance to the next round.
The pairings for the final day of the Qualifiers were drawn on Thursday, with co-favourites eliminated in two matches.
DFB duo against FIFA world champions
With NEO and the FOKUS CLAN, probably the two biggest organisations in the competition will meet. For example, eNational players Dylan ‘DullenMIKE’ Neuhausen and Kai ‘Hensoo’ Hense will compete for NEO. World champion Mohammed ‘MoAuba’ Harkous and Lukas ‘Sakul’ Vonderheide will compete for FOKUS CLAN.
In addition, there will be a rematch of the final in the Club Qualifier: Bayer 04 Leverkusen will challenge 1. FC Kaiserslautern. The FIFA department of the “Werkself” will send veteran Fabian ‘Dubzje’ De Cae and top talent Marc ‘marc_ldw23’ Landwehr into the race, while FCK will have ex-Schalker Michael ‘Deos’ Haan among its ranks.
St. Pauli and IQONIC favoured
FC St. Pauli with Mustafa ‘xMusti19’ Cankal is third in the Club Qualifier and has to face FC Hennef 05 eSports, IQONIC with Joe ‘JH7’ Hellmann and Werder talent Berkay ‘Berkaylion’ Demirci has been drawn against Hegersoft e.V.. Both teams are clear favourites, but nobody should be underestimated at this stage of the DFB-ePokal.
The final day of the qualifiers will take place on 5 March, with the 20 winners joining the twelve strongest teams from the VBL Club Championship first round in the main round. From the 32 participants, only eight will move on to the DFB-ePokal grand final on 2 and 3 April – where the successor to Celtic Worms FC will be crowned.
