Rot-Weiss Essen host RB Leipzig in the DFB Pokal at Stadion Essen on October 27, 2026, with kick-off set for 17:00 local time. Both teams arrive after victories: Essen beat Jahn Regensburg 1-0 on October 23, while Leipzig defeated Elversberg 4-0 a day later. Leipzig are described as the favourites in the match build-up, but their contrasting home and away performances give this cup tie an intriguing edge. Essen have a long home scoring run and will be looking to challenge visitors whose recent away results have been far less convincing than their latest home display.

Rot-Weiss Essen's Recent Form and Key Stats

Rot-Weiss Essen have won three, drawn one and lost one of their last five matches. Across that span, they have averaged 3.8 goals scored and 0.8 conceded per game. Their most recent result was narrower than those attacking figures might suggest, with the 1-0 win over Jahn Regensburg decided by a single goal. It nevertheless gave Essen another victory immediately before this DFB Pokal fixture.

In the cup this season, Essen have played once and won once. Their DFB Pokal averages stand at 2.0 goals scored and 0.0 conceded per match. That record offers limited evidence from the competition itself, but their broader home figures are more substantial: Essen have scored at least once in each of their last 21 home matches. For a side facing a favoured opponent, that sequence provides a clear reason to believe they can contribute to the contest rather than simply try to keep Leipzig out.

Essen's first-half record at home is also worth watching. They have avoided being behind at half-time in 19 of their last 21 home matches and have led at the interval in 11 of their last 18. Those figures do not guarantee another fast start, but they show that Essen have regularly stayed competitive early in home fixtures. Against a Leipzig side with its own notable away first-half trend, the opening period could be particularly important.

RB Leipzig's Recent Form and Key Stats

RB Leipzig come into the match after a 4-0 victory over Elversberg. They have won three and lost two of their last five matches, averaging 2.6 goals scored and 2.0 conceded per game. Their current DFB Pokal record is one win from one match, with averages of 6.0 goals scored and 0.0 conceded. That cup attacking figure stands out, although it comes from just one fixture.

The central question for Leipzig is whether they can reproduce their stronger home performances away from home. The match build-up contrasts the Elversberg result with defeats by 1-4 in Madrid and 1-6 in Munich, describing their away form as an area in need of improvement. A cup trip to Essen gives Leipzig another opportunity to address that contrast, but the supplied results underline why their status as favourites does not make the match straightforward.

Leipzig's away matches have consistently contained goals. More than 1.5 total goals have been scored in each of their last 10 away fixtures, and each of those 10 games has also featured at least one first-half goal. Leipzig have been behind at half-time in their last five away matches. That recent sequence sits alongside a different, longer DFB Pokal away sample in which they led at the interval in 10 of 16 games. The figures point to differing first-half patterns rather than one dependable script for this tie.

Later in matches, the trend is clearer: there has been at least one second-half goal in each of Leipzig's last 35 matches, their last 17 away matches and their last 10 DFB Pokal fixtures. These are total match-goal figures, not claims that Leipzig scored each goal themselves. They do, however, reinforce the possibility that the scoreline could change after the break. Leipzig have also gone 22 matches without a draw, including a run of 17 without one in the DFB Pokal.

Rot-Weiss Essen vs RB Leipzig Match Analysis

The previous recorded meeting ended 4-1 to RB Leipzig on August 17, 2024. It is the only match in the supplied head-to-head summary, so it shows what happened on that occasion without establishing a wider pattern between the clubs. This time, Essen bring a 21-match home scoring streak and strong recent attacking averages into the fixture, while Leipzig arrive with a 4-0 win fresh in mind but questions surrounding their away performances.

The supplied match probabilities make the balance especially interesting: Essen are assigned a 48% win probability, Leipzig 32% and the draw 20%. Those figures contrast with the build-up's description of Leipzig as favourites and underline the case for treating this as an open cup match. The goal data offer a more consistent theme. Essen have scored in 21 consecutive home games, Leipzig's last 10 away fixtures have each contained at least two total goals, and both sides have posted substantial scoring averages across their last five matches.

There is support for goals at different stages of the game, too. Leipzig's last 10 away matches have all featured a first-half goal, while their lengthy second-half sequences show that goals have continued to arrive after the interval. Essen's home first-half record suggests they have often been well placed by the break. Taken together, those facts make the goals total a more compelling focus than a confident call on which team will advance, especially with the available win probabilities divided between the two sides.

Rot-Weiss Essen vs RB Leipzig prediction from BetMines: Over 2.5 goals with 72% probability.