The 2018–19 DFB-Pokal was the 39th season of the annual German football cup competition. Fifty teams participated in the competition, including all teams from the previous year's Frauen-Bundesliga and the 2. Frauen-Bundesliga, excluding second teams. The competition began on 11 August 2018 with the first of six rounds and ended on 1 May 2019 with the final at the RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne, a nominally neutral venue, which has hosted the final since 2010. The DFB-Pokal is considered the second-most important club title in German women's football after the Bundesliga championship. The DFB-Pokal is run by the German Football Association (DFB).
The defending champions were Frauen-Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg, after they defeated Bayern Munich 3–2 on penalties in the previous final.
They successfully defended their title after a 1–0 victory over SC Freiburg.
Participating clubs The following 50 clubs qualified for the competition:
Bundesligathe 12 clubs of the 2017–18 season 2. Bundesliga16 of the 24 clubs of the 2017–18 season Regionalliga1 of 2 promoted teams of the 2017–18 season Werder Bremen MSV Duisburg SGS Essen 1. FFC Frankfurt SC Freiburg 1899 Hoffenheim USV Jena 1. FC Köln Bayern Munich Turbine Potsdam SC Sand VfL Wolfsburg SG Andernach Arminia Bielefeld BV Cloppenburg Jahn Delmenhorst FSV Gütersloh SV Henstedt-Ulzburg Herforder SV Bayer Leverkusen Borussia Mönchengladbach Blau-Weiß Hohen Neuendorf Schott Mainz SV Meppen 1. FFC Niederkirchen 1. FC Saarbrücken VfL Sindelfingen Hessen Wetzlar SV Weinberg Verbandspokalthe 21 winners of the regional association cups Baden Karlsruher SC
Bayern FC Forstern
Berlin Viktoria Berlin
Brandenburg FSV Babelsberg
Bremen TuS Schwachhausen
Hamburg Bramfelder SV
Hessen Jahn Calden Mecklenburg-Vorpommern 1. FC Neubrandenburg
Mittelrhein Vorwärts Spoho Köln
Niederrhein Borussia Bocholt
Niedersachsen Hannover 96
Rheinland SV Holzbach
Saarland 1. FC Riegelsberg
Sachsen Fortuna Dresden Sachsen-Anhalt Magdeburger FFC
Schleswig-Holstein Holstein Kiel
Südbaden Hegauer FV
Südwest TuS Wörrstadt
Thüringen 1. FFV Erfurt
Westfalen DJK-VfL Billerbeck
Württemberg SV Alberweiler
Format Clubs from lower leagues will host against clubs from higher leagues until the quarter-finals. Should both clubs play below the 2. Bundesliga, there will be no host club change anymore.
Schedule The rounds of the 2018–19 competition are scheduled as follows:
Round Matches First round 11–12 August 2018 Second round 8–9 September 2018 Round of 16 17–18 November 2018 Quarter-finals 13 March 2019 Semi-finals 31 March 2019 Final 1 May 2019 at RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne
Matches A total of forty-nine matches took place, starting with the first round on 11 August 2018 and culminating with the final on 1 May 2019 at the RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne.
Times up to 27 October 2018 and from 31 March 2019 are CEST (UTC+2). Times from 28 October 2018 to 30 March 2019 are CET (UTC+1).
First round The eighteen matches were drawn on 12 July and took place on 12 August 2018. The twelve clubs from the 2017–18 Bundesliga season and the two clubs promoted from the 2017–18 2. Bundesliga received a bye.
Second round The sixteen matches were drawn on 18 August and took place on 8 and 9 September 2018.
Third round The sixteen matches were drawn on 10 September and took place on 17 and 18 November 2018.
Quarterfinals The draw was made on 10 February 2019. The matches took place on 12 and 13 March 2019.
Semifinals The draw was made on 14 March 2019. The matches took place on 31 March 2019.
Final The final took place on 1 May 2019.
GK 1 Almuth Schult RB 26 Caroline Graham Hansen CB 4 Nilla Fischer (c) CB 8 Babett Peter LB 3 Zsanett Jakabfi CM 7 Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir CM 28 Lena Goeßling RW 9 Anna Blässe AM 22 Pernille Harder LW 17 Ewa Pajor CF 11 Alexandra PoppSubstitutes: GK 27 Mary Earps DF 16 Noelle Maritz DF 23 Sara Doorsoun MF 5 Cláudia Neto MF 20 Pia-Sophie Wolter FW 19 Kristine Minde FW 30 Ella Masar Manager: Stephan Lerch GK 32 Lena Nuding RB 23 Desiree van Lunteren CB 25 Virginia Kirchberger CB 27 Clara Schöne (c) LB 20 Greta Stegemann CM 24 Anja Hegenauer CM 9 Janina Minge RW 7 Giulia Gwinn AM 10 Sharon Beck LW 21 Klara Bühl CF 13 Sandra StarkeSubstitutes: GK 1 Merle Frohms DF 2 Lisa Karl MF 6 Hikaru Naomoto MF 8 Rebecca Knaak MF 15 Marie Müller FW 18 Stefanie Sanders FW 22 Lena Lotzen Manager: Jens Scheuer
Assistant referees: Marina Wozniak Sylvia Peters Fourth official: Mirka DerlinMatch rules 90 minutes. 30 minutes of extra time if necessary. Penalty shoot-out if scores still level. Seven named substitutes. Maximum of three substitutions, with a fourth allowed in extra time.
References