Nico & Keven Schlotterbeck at BVB & VfL Bochum: brother duel in the DFB Cup

turf duel in the evening

On Wednesday evening (8.45 p.m.) in the DFB Cup there will not only be a turf duel between VfL Bochum and Borussia Dortmund, but also – if both play – a direct duel between the brothers Keven Schlotterbeck (25) and Nico Schlotterbeck (23). It is the second time that the two defenders have played against each other in the cup, something like this had only happened once before in the DFB Cup, as a query in the TM database revealed.

The Schlotterbecks already played against each other in the second round of the 2019/20 season, back then with SC Freiburg (Nico) and 1. FC Union Berlin (Keven) – the latter ultimately won 3-1 with his team. The TM data in the DFB Cup is extensive – but really complete for all rounds and games since the early 1990s. There has only been a direct duel between brothers, including the Schlotterbecks’ first, six times since 1990 and at least three more times since the first event in 1935.

There was only one repeat like on Wednesday evening: In 1985/86 the brothers Thomas and Klaus Allofs played against each other with 1. FC Kaiserslautern and 1. FC Köln – with the better end for the former (4:1 aet). Thomas Allofs scored the opening goal for FCK after four minutes. In September 1991, his older brother Klaus was able to take his revenge when he and his SV Werder Bremen defeated Fortuna Düsseldorf 3-1 and netted to make it 2-0.

“I hope my brother plays and doesn’t play such a good game that he bothers us a bit,” Nico Schlotterbeck said jokingly at the weekend, looking at the duel against Keven. Neither of them made a bet: “We’ll let it come to us now. You never know if both are playing or if one is playing at all. Like I said, I want to win. He wants to win. Hopefully the best club on the day will win and hopefully that will be us.”

Keven Schlotterbeck said on “Sky”: “It’s a great game. And yes, why not beat BVB when you’re that far?” When asked about brother Nico, he said: “Of course you try to spur yourself on a bit so that you can get the most out of yourself.”

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