Preview: Jahn Regensburg vs. Werder Bremen - prediction, team news, lineups

Jahn Regensburg take on Werder Bremen in the quarter-final of the DFB-Pokal on Wednesday.

This tie had been scheduled to take place last month, but was postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak in the Jahn squad.

Match preview

This is the first time in Jahn's entire history that they have reached the last eight of Germany's domestic cup.

It represents an excellent achievement for a club which was competing in the fourth tier of German football as recently as 2016, especially having beaten Bundesliga side FC Koln on penalties in the previous round.

Led by their former player Mersad Selimbegovic, Jahn are currently fighting to survive in the second tier, as they sit five points clear of safety with eight matches remaining of this season's Bundesliga 2.

While survival is the club's primary aim this season, the opportunity to reach the semi-final of the DFB-Pokal by beating Werder Bremen on Wednesday is the type of one which a club of their size may have to wait several years to have again.

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Only Bayern Munich have won the DFB-Pokal more times than Bremen's impressive tally of six in their history, with Florian Kohfeldt hoping to add to that tally at the end of this campaign.

Having only survived relegation in the Bundesliga after overcoming Heidenheim in a playoff last season, Kohfeldt looks to have guided Bremen to safety this time around, with a seven-point gap currently between themselves and 16th-placed Koln.

As such, Wednesday's tie against Jahn is likely to become the 38-year-old's short-term priority. Indeed, Bremen have a proud history in this competition, with luck seemingly on their side this season having drawn four consecutive sides outside of the Bundesliga.

However, Kohfeldt will be keen to guard against complacency within his ranks ahead of the trip to Regensburg on Wednesday, with progressing to the semi-final far from a formality.

Team News

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Jahn may be without defenders Scott Kennedy and Sebastian Nachreiner due to injury.

As such, Jan Elvedi, who is the brother of Borussia Monchengladbach defender Nico, will assume major responsibility at the heart of his side's defence.

Bremen, meanwhile, are likely to travel without Nick Woltemade, Milos Veljkovic, Ilia Gruev and Luca Plogmann due to injury.

Kohfeldt may look to freshen things up after three defeats in a row in the league, with Joshua Sargent coming back into the side having served a one-match suspension against Stuttgart.

Jahn Regensburg possible starting lineup:
Meyer; Saller, Palionis, Elvedi, Beste; George, Gimber, Besuschklow, Stolze; Otto, Caliskaner

Werder Bremen possible starting lineup:
Pavlenka; Gebre Selassie, Toprak, Friedl, Augustinsson; Mohwald, Gross; Schmid, Bittencourt, Rashica; Sargent

We say: Jahn Regensburg 0-2 Werder Bremen

We expect the visitors to have too much solidity for the hosts to be able to breach, with Sargent and Milot Rashica likely to pose plenty of problems in attack.

Werder will be targeting a successful cup campaign to boost their season.