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Bayern Munich look for big DFB Pokal win against Hertha Berlin

By Kiran Thakare

MUNICH, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 04: Javi Martinez, Jerome Boateng, Rafinha, Kingsley Coman and James Rodriguez (L-R) of FC Bayern Muenchen warm up during a training session at the club's Saebener Strasse training ground on February 4, 2019 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by A. Beier/Getty Images for FC Bayern)
MUNICH, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 04: Javi Martinez, Jerome Boateng, Rafinha, Kingsley Coman and James Rodriguez (L-R) of FC Bayern Muenchen warm up during a training session at the club's Saebener Strasse training ground on February 4, 2019 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by A. Beier/Getty Images for FC Bayern) /
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Bayern Munich will be eager to get back to winning ways when they travel to Berlin on Wednesday for the DFB quarterfinal clash against Hertha Berlin.

Bayern Munich suffered a major dent to their chances of retaining Bundesliga title on Saturday, suffering a 3-1 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen at BayArena. Bayern slipped to third in the German table and remain seven points behind leaders Borussia Dortmund. Niko Kovac will be hoping his players put this setback behind them and bounce back against Hertha Berlin in their DFB Pokal clash on Wednesday.

Die Roten have failed to win the DFB Pokal in each of the past two seasons. Lifting the trophy is even more important this year, as their hopes of winning the Bundesliga are looking faint. Bayern have delivered a mixed bag of performances under Kovac in this competition, just narrowly reaching the round of 16 with a tight 2-1 win over SV Rodinghausen.

Hertha, meanwhile, are enduring a mixed campaign themselves under Pal Dardai. They started the season in a fantastic manner, but the wins have dried up lately. They have not lost to Bayern in their last four meetings, though, and they will like their chances of extending this to run to five games on Wednesday.

Team News

Bayern Munich received a massive boost on Monday when Thiago Alcantara returned tp training. The Spaniard should be ready to face Hertha Berlin after missing the weekend’s match against Bayer Leverkusen due to a minor injury. Manuel Neuer is also recovering well from a thumb injury, but he still remains a doubt for Wednesday’s game.

Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery returned to training last week after significant injury lay-offs. Ribery is likely to make his return on Wednesday, but Robben will miss this game due to illness. Renato Sanches is also set to miss out this game due to a minor ankle injury, while Corentin Tolisso is still a few steps away from making a complete recovery.

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Predicted XI

Niko Kovac is likely to make a few big changes to his starting lineup after a woeful performance against Bayer Leverkusen. Sven Ulreich is expected to feature in the absence of Neuer. Jerome Boateng is likely to replace Mats Hummels and partner Niklas Sule in central defense. Joshua Kimmich will move back to right-back, while David Alaba will keep his spot on the left side of defense.

Javi Martinez could be back in the starting lineup after Kimmich’s poor display over the weekend. Thiago is likely to partner his compatriot in the middle of the park. Leon Goretzka will complete the midfield by occupying the number ten position.

Kingsley Coman was in fine form against Bayer Leverkusen. The Frenchman was unlucky not to find the back of the net, as he came close to scoring on a few occasions. Coman will continue to play on the left side of the attack, while Serge Gnabry is likely to play on the right on Wednesday. Robert Lewandowski will lead the line for the visitors.

"UlreichKimmich-Sule-Boateng-AlabaMartinez-ThiagoGnabry-Goretzka-ComanLewandowski"

Opposition Focus

Bayern endured a difficult game in Berlin earlier this season. The hosts will be inclined to use a similar gameplan on Wednesday. They allowed Bayern to have most of the possession and defended with a deep block. Berlin were quick in transition and easily gained numerical superiority in Bayern’s box. The visitors will have to maintain a better defensive line in order to counter the swift movement of Berlin’s forwards.

Salomon Kalou will be a key player for the home side on Wednesday. The veteran winger still has a good eye for goal and can also create several chances for his teammates. Bayern will also have to keep a close eye on Ondrej Duda and Vedad Ibisevic. These two players have provided the bulk of Hertha’s goal-scoring this season.

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Prediction

Hertha Berlin 1-2 Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich desperately need a comprehensive win in this game to create another winning run. Hertha Berlin will cause a lot of problems to Bayern, but I expect the visitors to come out on top by a fine margin.