Bayern Munich has a chance to test the squad depth against quality opposition.
The games are coming thick and fast for Bayern Munich. After a hard-fought to win away at Stuttgart in the Bundesliga on Saturday, they are on the road again in the midweek Champions League game. The European Champions will be facing Atletico Madrid at Wanda Metropolitano on Tuesday.
Die Roten has already sealed a place in the round of 16 and clinched the top spot in the group. Hansi Flick has decided to rest numerous players for this game. It opens up a good opportunity for fringe players that are set against Diego Simeone’s team.
After spending weeks warming the bench, Alexander Nubel has a chance to show the quality on the pitch. The German international has played only one game this season, a DFB Pokal clash against FC Duren in October. Manuel Neuer is the undisputed number one for Bayern, but Nubel has a chance to give the coach something to think against a big team in Europe.
In the defense, there is a possibility that Chris Richards will get minutes from the bench. The young central defender has been training with the first team consistently this season. Richards also got a couple of Bundesliga starts this year. However, both starts have been in the full-back position. The USA international is a promising young player, so playing at the biggest stage will be another step in the right direction.
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Flick spoke about the selection conundrum in the number six position as the majority of midfielders are rested, while Joshua Kimmich is recovering from a serious injury. The German manager will stick with Javi Martinez as the lone midfielder, but the likes of Angelo Stiller and Maximilian Zaiser can get minutes from the bench on Tuesday. Stiller, in particular, is rated highly in the reserves team, so it would be a good time to hand him a first-team debut.
In the attack, there is unlikely to be any debuts on Tuesday. Leroy Sane is not a fringe player, but he needs minutes under his belt to gain complete fitness. The German winger has been making an impact from the bench in the past few weeks, but the time is right for him to get a start after a long time. Meanwhile, Jamal Musiala should also be in contention to start on Tuesday after delivering a solid performance against Werder Bremen last weekend.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting was signed for such games to relieve the workload of Robert Lewandowski. The Cameroon striker will be leading the line for Die Roten on Tuesday. Considering Flick is not against using two strikers, this is a big chance for Choupo-Moting to impress.
The winning run in the Champions League is on the line tomorrow, but Flick will not be too fussed about it. The German manager should ideally like to see young players impressing him and getting vital experience at the big stage. If he finds to get a good performance tomorrow, then Die Roten should not be too much worried about fixture congestion in the coming months.