Thomas Tuchel will make his German cup bow as Bayern Munich manager when the Bavarians welcome Freiburg in a DFB-Pokal quarter-final clash on Tuesday from 19:45 GMT.
Bayern Munich, who are second on the Bundesliga table behind Borussia Dortmund, will be looking to enjoy a successful cup game and make it to the semi-finals while giving their new manager the perfect start to life.
SC Freiburg, who are fourth on the Bundesliga table and are unbeaten in their last five outings, will be looking to claim a famous scalp and make it into the semi-finals of the cup.
Key Highlights
New Manager New Approach at Bayern?
The Bayern Munich bosses were ruthless in sacking Julian Naggelsman with the team second on the table, just a point behind Dortmund, and having made it through to the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
However, in Thomas Tuchel, they have hired a proven winner with a burning drive who demonstrated his quality at Dortmund, PSG, and Chelsea.
His debut cup match as Bayern manager will be a feisty affair against an in-form Freiburg.
Tuchel will be looking for a quick tactical response to his methods at Bayern. He likes his teams to be compact, high-pressing, and proactive. This will not be a problem at Bayern as they are already used to these methods.
Can Freiburg Keep their Unbeaten run Going?
Freiburg occupy the final Champions League spot in the Bundesliga with a two-point gap to the fifth-placed RB Leipzig. They have gone unbeaten in their last five with two wins and three draws.
Christian Streich and his charges will look to find the right balance in their performance. They know that a gung-ho approach will be thoroughly punished by a rampant Bayern Munich attacking play.
However, Bayern have weaknesses and frailties that can be exposed if Freiburg’s performance is tactically robust with compactness and a proactive approach to pressing and forcing the champions into mistakes.
Christian Streich will also know that with a new manager at the helm, Bayern will be undergoing some transition, which can breed some uncertainty.
They will be out to leverage any such weaknesses to bolster their chances of making it into the semi-finals of the DFB-Pokal.
Injury Report
Bayern
Thomas Tuchel will have some injuries to deal with as he seeks to navigate the quarter-final on Tuesday.
Center-back Lucas Hernandez (cruciate ligament), goalkeeper Manuel Neuer (fractured of the lower leg), and center-forward Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting are all missing from the squad.
Other injury absentees include attacking midfielder Paul Wanner (adductor problems), attacking midfielder Jamal Musiala (hamstring), center forward Mathys Tel (torn muscle fiber), and attacking midfielder Arijon Ibrahimovic (virus infection).
Freiburg
Christian Streich will be without two of his squad members for the clash against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday.
Attacking midfielder, Daniel-Kofi Kyereh, is sidelined with a cruciate ligament rupture. The 27-year-old has been out since February 9, 2023, and has missed 9 matches for Freiburg.
Center-back Philipp Lienhart is also unavailable for selection; muscular problems have plagued the 26-year-old since March 11, 2023, and he has missed 4 matches.
Possible Lineups
Bayern
Y. Sommer; M. de Ligt, D. Upamecano, B. Pavard; J. Kimmich; L. Sane, L. Goretzka, A. Davies, J. Cancelo; S. Mane, T. Muller
Freiburg
M. Flekken; M. Gulde, M. Ginter, L. Kubler; C. Guner, N. Hofler, M. Eggestein, K. Sildillia; V. Grifo, M. Gregoritsch, R. Doan
Prediction
Playing in front of the home fans at the Allianz Arena, Bayern will play on the front foot. They will squeeze the pitch with a high line to ensure their press is effective.
Freiburg will be solid and compact in their approach, with transition attacks their best route to causing Bayern problems.
Bayern are favorites to win this match and progress to the semi-finals of the cup.
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