Bayern Munich face Union Berlin away from home in their round of 16 DFB Pokal match on Wednesday night, as both teams look to secure their quarter-final qualification.
Union Berlin vs Bayern Munich – Match preview and team news
- Date: Wednesday, 3rd December.
- Kick-off: 7:45pm BST.
- Venue: Stadion An der Alten Forsterei, Berlin.
Union Berlin team news
Steffen Baumgart has a near-full squad to choose from for this match, though he remains without long-term absentee Robert Skov. The Danish winger has been sidelined since September with a muscle injury. Young defender Andrik Markgraf also remains unavailable as he continues his recovery from a leg injury.
Dmytro Bogdanov is also unavailable for Union Berlin, however, captain Rani Khedira is fit to anchor the midfield, while Danilho Doekhi—who scored in the recent league draw against Bayern—will lead the defence.
Bayern Munich team news
Vincent Kompany’s side travels to the capital with renewed confidence after a 3-1 victory over St. Pauli, but they remain without key playmaker Jamal Musiala, who is recovering from a fibula fracture. Alphonso Davies has returned to team training following a back issue but is considered doubtful to start.
There is better news in midfield, where Aleksandar Pavlovic is available again after overcoming an eye socket fracture that disrupted his autumn campaign. Summer signing Luis Diaz, who has nine goals this season in all competitions, is expected to start on the flank in support of top scorer Harry Kane.
Form
Union Berlin
Union Berlin’s recent form has been inconsistent. They come into this cup tie off the back of a 1-2 defeat to Heidenheim in the Bundesliga. However, their cup form has been solid, having dispatched Arminia Bielefeld 2-1 in the previous round.
Before the Heidenheim loss, Union had gone four games unbeaten, a run that included a creditable 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich in the league and a 1-0 victory over St. Pauli. Baumgart will be hoping to channel that resilience to cause an upset.
Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich have won three of their last five matches across all competitions, responding to a disappointing 1-3 Champions League defeat against Arsenal with a comfortable 3-1 win over St. Pauli last weekend.
Vincent Kompany’s men have been potent in attack, scoring 14 goals in their last five games, including a 6-2 thrashing of Freiburg. Their previous DFB-Pokal outing saw them cruise past FC Köln 4-1, and they will be keen to avoid a repeat of recent shock early exits. Bayern have reached the quarter-finals just once in the last five seasons.
Predicted lineups
Union Berlin: Ronnow; Leite, Querfeld, Doekhi; Kohn, Kemlein, Khedira, Trimmel; Ansah, Jeong; Burke.
Bayern Munich: Urbig; Bischof, Tah, Kim, Laimer; Pavlovic, Kimmich; Diaz, Karl, Guerreiro; Kane.
How to watch Union Berlin vs Bayern Munich?
UK fans can watch the game live on Premier Sports.
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