Fresh off a seven-goal drubbing of VfL Bochum, Bayern Munich will kick off their 2023/24 DFB-Pokal campaign away at 3. Liga side SC Preussen Munster on Tuesday evening.
The first round of the DFB-Pokal rounds off this week with a pair of games, the first of which features minnows SC Preussen Munster going up against reigning Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich on Tuesday.
The home side will be hoping for a big stroke of cup magic to get something out of this game as they ply their trade in the 3. Liga, Germany’s third tier, and have not made the best of starts to the new campaign. They are currently sitting 15th with just 8 points after seven rounds, putting them closer to the relegation zone than the promotion spots.
Sascha Hildmann’s team drew 1-1 with Lubeck on Saturday, meaning they are coming off the back of two games unbeaten, which will boost their confidence ahead of Tuesday’s showdown. Regardless of their form, Bayern are massive favourites.
The visitors are back on top of the Bundesliga standings, as Harry Kane’s first hat-trick for the club helped his side hammer seven past Bochum yet again at the Allianz Arena on Saturday afternoon, days after Thomas Tuchel’s men posted their 14th straight Champions League group-stage win, a 4-3 home win over Manchester United.
Team News & Tactics
SC Preussen Munster
The hosts will have to make do without the continued absence of long-term absentees Dennis Grote and Shaibou Oubeyapwa, with the midfield duo suffering ACL injuries earlier this year. Having won only two of their first seven league matches this term and averaging just one goal per game, Preussen Munster will surely head into their first-round tie in damage-limitation mode.
Given the enormous gap in quality between the teams, head coach Sascha Hildmann will undoubtedly pick his strongest XI, despite the fact that they are fully aware that their possibilities of success are very small.
He is expected to primarily employ an ultra-defensive 3-5-2 formation, with the primary aim of frustrating Bayern as much as possible, thus dragging the game until the very end. It gives them an opportunity to nab a late goal, a tactic that has often prevailed for underdogs in cup competitions.
20-year-old goalkeeper Johannes Schenk arrived on loan from Bayern Munich this past summer and won’t be part of the squad for Tuesday’s match as the rules prohibit him from playing against his parent club. But that is unlikely to bother Munster, as the Bayern loanee has yet to make an appearance for his new club, with 34-year-old shot-stopper Maximilian Niehues the preferred pick in between the sticks.
Malik Batmaz is the club’s top scorer in the third tier with two goals, though both strikes fell in the same fixture on Matchday 3. Gerrit Wegkamp was last season’s top scorer with 22 league goals, but he has yet to open his account this season. Andrew Wooten has eight goals to his name, but seven of those have arrived in the Westphalia Cup.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Niehues; Koulis, Kok, Hahn; Kyerewaa, Preissinger, Bazzoli, Lorenz, Bockle; Batmaz, Grodowski
Bayern Munich
The midweek fixture against third-division side Preussen Munster serves as an ideal opportunity for Thomas Tuchel to rest some of his key players, with the 50-year-old having one eye on the important Bundesliga encounter against RB Leipzig on the weekend.
With Manuel Neuer still continuing to build up his fitness following the much-publicised skiing incident after the World Cup, Sven Ulreich will get the start in goal. The combination of Dayot Upamecano and Kim Min-jae has continued to be formidable. But it would not be surprising if Tuchel gives Matthijs de Ligt another opportunity after being handed the green light from medical team.
Young left-back Frans Kratzig could be among those inducted into the starting XI as part of the rotation after featuring as a substitute last time out, with Bouna Sarr hoping to impress on the opposite flank. Raphael Guerreiro can finally make the matchday squad after recovering from an injury.
ℹ️ After being forced off at half-time in yesterday's 7-0 win against VfL Bochum, Matthijs de Ligt has been given the all-clear by the #FCBayern medical department.
— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN) September 24, 2023
With the lack of midfield depth, two senior midfielders will have to be picked by Tuchel, with Konrad Laimer and Leon Goretzka set to form the double pivot in front of the back four.
Although Harry Kane will be keen to continue his prolific start to life at Bayern, wonderkid Mathys Tel could be handed a rare chance to impress from the get-go after being used as an attacking option from the bench in previous games. Wholesale changes are expected in the rest of the attack as well, with Thomas Muller almost destined to start in one of the three attacking midfield slots behind the striker.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting could retain his auxiliary striker role in the starting lineup, with Serge Gnabry also a strong contender for a start after sitting out the VfL Bochum victory on the bench as an unused substitute.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Ulreich; Sarr, Upamecano, Kim, Kratzig; Laimer, Goretzka; Gnabry, Choupo-Moting, Muller; Tel
Key Stats
- This is just the second meeting between these two sides in a competitive fixture for just the second time. The first also came in the first round of the DFB-Pokal in the 2014/15 season, when the Bavarians eased to a 4-1 win.
- Bayern Munich have not lost in the first round of the DFB-Pokal competition since the 1994/95 season.
- Harry Kane has scored five goals in their last three games in all competitions.
- Bayern Munich have lost just one out of seven competitive games this season, a 3-0 defeat to RB Leipzig in the DFL-Supercup.
- Bayern Munich have scored four goals or more in their last two games.
Player to Watch
Mathys Tel
Although Harry Kane may have stolen the headlines with eight goals in all competitions this season, the entire Bayern Munich attack is purring at the moment. Tel has been particularly impressive for Bayern, considering the fact that he has not started a single league game this season until now.
Despite getting limited playing time, Tel has managed to score twice and get one assist in the four Bundesliga games until now. The 18-year-old forward is set for a big campaign with Die Roten. Tel enjoyed a decent debut season as he scored five goals for Bayern across all competitions. His versatility makes him a great option for Tuchel and Bayern.
The French forward can lead the attack, stretching the teams with clever runs. He can also play on the left flank as a traditional winger. The 18-year-old forward can beat the full-back with pace and dribbling. He will be looking to make a positive impression against a lower-tier side. No wonder he is attracting interest from Real Madrid.
Prediction
SC Preussen Munster 0-4 Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich do not seem to have any problem when it comes to finding the back of the net at the moment. And their superior attacking quality will shine through once again here up against minnows from the third tier of the Bundesliga.
Although they are expected to give their opposition a tough fight, The Hard Tackle expects Bayern Munich to steamroll their way through Preussen Munster this midweek. We back Thomas Tuchel and his charges to cruise to a 4-0 victory this midweek.