Bayern Munich take on Borussia Dortmund in the round of 16 of the DFB-Pokal. Under new management, both BVB’s Peter Stoger and his squad have a point to prove.
Apart from a 2-1 defeat to Borussia Monchengladbach, Bayern Munich have been in fantastic form throughout the past few months. With very few goals conceded, a clear gap between first and second, a strong team mentality and clear desire from every player, Bayern Munich are resting easy atop the Bundesliga table.
Bayern’s current form is reminiscent of the same form held by Borussia Dortmund toward the beginning of this season.
It was around Jupp Heynckes’s arrival that the two teams appeared to swap, with Dortmund now having only 2 victories in their last 11 games. Their bad form saw them drop as far down as eigth in the Bundesliga and eventually sack manager Peter Bosz. Now in a more familiar third place, the current DFB Cup champions will be looking to carry on their turn around across all competitions.
Team News
Bayern Munich are slowly but surely getting their full team back. Earlier this week saw every senior player take part in training bar Manuel Neuer and Thiago Alcantara.
Saturday’s match against Stuttgart provided opportunities of respite for Thomas Müller, David Alaba and Franck Ribéry. Whether Heynckes chooses to utilize the aging winger over of Coman is still up for debate. While Alaba and Müller were given time against Stuttgart, Ribéry sat out the game, only the second game this season to feature Ribéry in the squad but with no appearance.
Elsewhere, Arjen Robben appeared to be on track to make a comeback against his favorite opponent only to have it confirmed today that he is still not quite ready. A shame for the Bayern fans who are yet to grow tired of the footage of him skipping passed Subotic and Hummels in Wembley 4 years ago, but the perfect opportunity for a trio of James, Coman and Müller, who are looking to be as dangerous a combination Bayern fans can ask for.
With a near fully fit squad, the team Heynckes picks for this game should be an indicator for what he believes is the strongest line up possible.
Predicted XI
“Big Game Sven” made his return to the Bayern goal on Saturday and looked as if he hadn’t missed a step, saving a 94th minute penalty and, in turn, 2 points. His form has got better and better since Heynckes returned and it is very welcome.
The most puzzling position, however, is the defensive midfield role. Sebastian Rudy was saved against Stuttgart. But Javi Martinez has been as stellar this season as in the ’12-13 one. After two games without much impact, neither Tolisso or Vidal have a great claim to a starting spot. Playing both Rudy and Martinez will certainly sure up things in midfield allowing the attacking trio of “JMC” to do their usual.
A fully fit squad will also provide strength in depth at the left-back position. Although he has just returned from injury again, Juan Bernat has been a reliable feature in the squad when called upon recently. It is unlikely he will start, but having him available is a huge boost to both Bayern’s attack and defense.
The other defenders will most likely be Joshua Kimmich and the two more senior center-backs: Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng. As promising as he is, Süle may not not be ready for this big a game. Should Bayern need a goal late in the match, though, the 6 foot 5 center-back will provide great height in the box.
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Opposition Focus
The visitors are slowly turning around their ill fortune. After sacking Peter Bosz, they turned to another Peter: Stöger, formerly of Köln. After a string of matches without victory across all competitions, Dortmund are now two for two.
It is not conclusive, however. This is a team that should never be ignored. Despite it still being early in the cup, there is no place for complacency, especially in this game.
Bayern are without Neuer, Thiago and Robben which is sad news for fans. Dortmund, however, have it much worse. Piszczek, Durm, Castro, Philipp, Reus and former Bayern players Mario Götze and Sebastian Rode are all out. While they have good depth for most positions, missing a huge number of players can be a deciding factor, as Bayern fans would know.
With that being said, Aubameyang, Yarmolenko, Kagawa and Pulisic are all capable of causing damage at any moment.
Hopefully Bayern are prepared and their attack will outweigh Dortmund’s defense.
Next: Four key Bayern Munich players to watch in Wednesday's Der Klassiker
Prediction
Bayern Munich 3-1 BVB