Berlin, the historic city in East Germany and where the winners of the German Cup will be decided today, is much closer to the city of Leipzig than it is to Frankfurt. But that won’t stop Eintracht Frankfurt fans from taking over the capital today for the meeting with RB Leipzig.Around 1,200 fans from Frankfurt have already made their way to Berlin on Friday afternoon for a special event Eintracht have organised in the capital. They call it the Frankfurt Ambassy, a big gathering place for fans, former players, sponsors and directors all gathered for a few drinks and songs to get them in the mood for the big game.03.06.2023🇩🇪Before cup final, ~55.000 Eintracht Frankfurt fans today in Berlin against rb https://t.co/Fjy3xrlEmQ pic.twitter.com/sJfKCocbW1— Hooligans.cz Official (@hooliganscz1999) June 3, 2023 Frankfurt fans delighted Europe with their passion and dedication over the past few years. They travelled in large numbers to Barcelona last season for their Europa League game. They coloured the city and the stadium with their white shirts and flags, creating a unique atmosphere. And they will do it again today, some 550 kilometres away from home.Eintracht director Axel Hellman proudly announced that the DFB-Pokal final against RB Leipzig will surely feel like a home game for his team. The German football association received 184,000 ticket requests for the game that will be played in the 74,475-capacity Olympiastadion. Although there are no official numbers describing where the requests came from, experience tells Hellman most of them came from Frankfurt.”No one moves as many people to such a game as Eintracht Frankfurt. We haven’t forgotten Barcelona. We’ve always gotten tickets and will have a lot of people in the stadium. You don’t have to be a connoisseur of the German football scene to know that most of the 184,000 ticket requests certainly did not come from Leipzig. There will be around 60,000 Eintracht fans in Berlin, of which more than 40,000 will be in the stands.”03.06.2023 Germany🇩🇪 RB Leipzig vs Eintracht Frankfurt Cup FinalFrankfurt supporters taking over Berlin pic.twitter.com/bfUW7BRBO8— Gruppaof (@gruppaof_hools) June 3, 2023 The Frankfurt people will undoubtedly win the contest in the stands, but that’s not the main event today. This is the Red Bulls’ third successive DFB-Pokal final appearance, and while they lost the first 4-1 to Borussia Dortmund, they got the better of Freiburg on penalties last season. As a team that secured UEFA Champions League participation for next season, they have the quality to hurt Frankfurt. Still, Hellman is defiant.”We’re playing – and we all have to be aware of that – against a good strong team that reached the Champions League. But we’re also playing against a team that has never won against us when we’re in a home game. And we have a home game in Berlin!”##NAJAVA_MECA_7298726##Oliver Glasner has enjoyed a fantastic two-year stay at Frankfurt, but it will end tonight – regardless of the outcome. Glasner guided Frankfurt to UEFA Europa League victory in his first campaign and the club’s first-ever appearance in the Champions League this season. Although he eventually got a tune-up from his men in the final few rounds when it counted most, the board blamed Glasner’s early termination on his “overall performance in the second half of the campaign”. But he has a chance to go out in style with a nice piece of silverware.Frankfurt are chasing their sixth German Cup title, which would draw them level with Werder Bremen as having the equal second most titles after Bayern Munich’s 20. The coach was quizzed about his impending departure, but he didn’t even have time to think about it.”I don’t think it will matter to me until the final whistle. I’ve had enough to do. Leipzig have kept me busy. I will enjoy the evening. The game is important tomorrow, not Oliver Glasner.”🎙️#Glasner: “There’s going to be a huge number of Eintracht fans in the stadium again. And it’s clear: we want to bring the cup back to Frankfurt.”#SGE | #DFBPokal | #RBLSGE pic.twitter.com/WrCXqsSk0h— Eintracht Frankfurt (@eintracht_us) June 2, 2023 Today’s game is Leipzig’s fourth German Cup final in five seasons. Win, and they will be the first team not named Bayern to defend the trophy since Schalke in 2001 and 2002. Bubbling under the surface is a battle between two of the best attacking players in German football. Christopher Nkunku and Randal Kolo Muani have had stellar seasons, particularly in the Cup, where each averages a goal or more a game this season. Their form has been so strong that both have been linked with summer moves away from their clubs, if not the Bundesliga all together. Media reports suggest Nkunku’s move abroad, most likely to Premier League side Chelsea, is already a done deal, despite a contract that runs until 2026.RB Leipzig fans will only have to travel around 150 kilometres to get to Berlin, but they can’t match Eintracht’s fanatism. On the pitch, though – it might not matter.DFB-POKAL FINALSaturday21.00: (1.85) RB Leipzig (3.70) Eintr.Frankfurt (4.70)***odds are subject to changes
