Surprise return: Bayern’s starting XI for DFB-Pokal in Cologne

This Wednesday, at 8:45 PM, FC Bayern Munich's DFB-Pokal match takes place in Cologne. The record champions enter this duel with the cathedral city team with an impressive series of 13 wins in 13 games.

However, caution is advised, as Cologne, though a newly promoted team, has many means to pose problems for bigger opponents. For instance, last weekend, Effzeh lost only in the last minute against Borussia Dortmund. So, it won't be an easy game in the cup, which has already caused Bayern some difficulties in recent years.

The goal for coach Vincent Kompany's team is clear: they must reach the round of 16. And unlike other tasks, it's not so much about the "how" here; advancing, ideally after 90 minutes, is what counts.

At the press conference before the game, Kompany also warned about today's opponent. "They have done very well so far. Especially what they do in defense – I like the urgency with which they quickly close down spaces to prevent shots and crosses. They are also incredibly dangerous on the counter," said the head coach.

This means Bayern must approach the game with the necessary seriousness. Therefore, no one expected major experiments in the lineup. By now, it has also been officially nominated by the coach.

Jonas Urbig plays in goal, which was already decided beforehand. Among other reasons, because Manuel Neuer is suspended. In the back four, Josip Stanisic starts, who has just returned from an injury. That the Croatian is in the starting lineup shortly after his return is indeed surprising. Otherwise, Konrad Laimer , Jonathan Tah , and Dayot Upamecano are in the back four. It will be very interesting to see on which side Stanisic and Laimer play.

The midfield center consists of Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlovic. In front of them plays the best possible lineup, namely Luis Diaz , Michael Olise , and Serge Gnabry . Of course, Harry Kane plays in the "9" position. Even though everyone knows that the Englishman likes to drop back and initiate attacks from midfield.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.