Bayern Munich gear up for DFB Pokal final against Eintracht Frankfurt

Bayern Munich travel to Berlin to play their final game of the season against Eintracht Frankfurt in the DFB Pokal final.

Bayern Munich are aiming to win their second trophy of the season when they face Eintracht Frankfurt in the DFB Pokal final tomorrow. Jupp Heynckes would like to sign off his career with a domestic double with the Rekordmeisters. The German manager is set to retire after a successful interim stint in Munich.

Bayern Munich did not win this trophy last season as Borussia Dortmund defeated them in the semi-finals. This season, however, Bayern overcame several tough opponents to reach the final. The German champions defeated RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund in the rounds of 32 and 16 respectively.

Bayern head into this game fresh off a poor result last Saturday, when they were defeated 4-1 by VFB Stuttgart at the Allianz Arena.

Eintracht Frankfurt have enjoyed a very good season under Niko Kovac. The just missed out on a European place in the Bundesliga, but overall they have vastly improved under the Croatian manager. Kovac is set to join Bayern next season, but he will be aiming to finish his tenure with Frankfurt with a win over his future employers and an important trophy.

Team news

Bayern Munich were boosted with the inclusion of Manuel Neuer in the traveling squad. The German goalkeeper is now training without any pain. Heynckes is expecting the likes of Kingsley Coman and Arjen Robben to also be fit for this game.

#Jupp on @esmuellert_: "Thomas has fully recovered. He's not at the press conference so we can get through it quicker!" 😂 #MiaSanMia #FCBSGE pic.twitter.com/8jUiV78SdE
— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN) May 18, 2018

Thomas Muller has recovered from an illness which kept him out for a few days this week. The Bavarian is now completely fit to start in the final. Jerome Boateng remains on the sidelines as he targets a return to action later this month. Arturo Vidal is another long term absentee who will miss the game on Saturday.

Predicted XI

Heynckes confirmed in his press conference that Neuer is not fit enough to start this game. Sven Ulreich is set to start the final after a very solid campaign for Bayern Munich. Niklas Sule and Mats Hummels are favorites to slot in the center-back positions. Joshua Kimmich and David Alaba will occupy the right-back and left-back positions.

In the center of the park, Javi Martinez is likely to play in the defensive midfield position. James Rodriguez and Thiago Alcantara are the most probable candidates to complete the three-man midfield. The Colombian is likely to play the attacking midfield role while Thiago will be the box-to-box midfielder.

Robert Lewandowski has been subject to criticism in the past few weeks after his poor performances against Real Madrid. The Poland international has enjoyed a very good season despite this criticism. He will lead the line for the Bavarians in the final against Frankfurt. Thomas Muller and Franck Ribery are likely to play on either side of Lewandowski.

"UlreichKimmich-Sule-Hummels-AlabaRodriguez-Martinez-ThiagoMuller-Lewandowski-Ribery"

Opposition focus

Frankfurt suffered a heavy defeat against Bayern Munich a few weeks ago in the Bundesliga. Kovac’s men come into this game on the back of four defeats in their last five Bundesliga games. However, this game is completely different as Frankfurt will be eager to cause an upset in the final. They delivered a very spirited performance against Schalke in the DFB Pokal semi-finals.

Next: Bayern Munich vs. Eintracht Frankfurt: What to watch in the DFB Pokal final

Sebastian Haller and Luka Jovic are the key players for Frankfurt,, as they have scored 17 goals between them in the Bundesliga. Apart from this duo, Ante Rebic is also a player who can trouble Bayern’s defense. The Bavarians need a better defensive performance than last weekend as they will be suspect to numerous counter attacks.

Prediction

Bayern Munich 2-1 Eintracht Frankfurt