Union Berlin welcome Bayern Munich to Stadion An der Alten Forsterei for the second time in a month, with both teams looking to seal their spot in the fourth round of the DFB-Pokal.
Die Eisernen are one of two teams this entire season to stop the Bavarians in their tracks, though doing so for a second time will be a tall task.
Match preview
After thrashing FC Gutersloh in the opening round of the competition, Union Berlin were tasked with taking on last season’s finalists Arminia Bielefeld, and they needed extra time to get the job done.
The task for Die Eisernen is not about to get any easier as they prepare to host 20-time cup winners Bayern Munich – a team they already met a couple of weeks ago in the Bundesliga.
Steffen Baumgart’s men were seconds away from becoming the first team this season to beat the Bavarians, though they had to settle for a draw after Harry Kane bagged a stoppage time equaliser.
Despite this, Union still made history by ending Bayern’s unprecedented 16-match winning run this season.
While Die Eisernen are enjoying a tremendous campaign so far, their confidence took a serious hit over the weekend as they endured a shock 2-1 home defeat against strugglers Heidenheim.
© Imago
Bayern, on the other hand, managed to shake off their defeat to Arsenal in the Champions League by beating St Pauli in the Bundesliga to enhance their advantage at the top of the table.
The Bavarians appear to be powering towards another league success having already built an eight-point gap at the top of the standings.
However, winning one competition is rarely enough for the success-driven club, with pressure growing on manager Vincent Kompany to continue delivering silverware.
While the Champions League is undoubtedly on their radar, the Munich giants will also be looking at the DFB-Pokal – especially after going five long years without lifting the famous trophy.
Bayern’s last run to the final in this competition took place in 2020, when they beat Bayer Leverkusen in front of an empty Olympic Stadium in Berlin.
This season has already seen Bayern beat Wehen Wiesbaden and FC Koln in the cup – they will now be looking to add Union Berlin to that list on Wednesday night.
Union Berlin DFB Pokal form:
W W
Union Berlin form (all competitions):
L W D D W L
Bayern Munich DFB Pokal form:
W W
Bayern Munich form (all competitions):
W W D W L W
Team News
© Iconsport / DeFodi Images
Union Berlin have got a couple of injury worries as they prepare to welcome the German champions to the capital.
Forward Robert Skov has been out of action since September, and the 29-year-old continues to battle with his muscle injury.
Teenage defender Andrik Markgraf is also on the sidelines due to his leg injury, with the 19-year-old yet to play a single minute of competitive football this season.
Bayern, on the other hand, made a number of changes for their clash with St Pauli over the weekend and some of those players could get another chance in the starting lineup.
One of those names is 17-year-old Lennart Karl, who stunned the supporters by producing three goal contributions in his last three outings for the club – including a goal against Arsenal.
In terms of injuries, Alphonso Davies and Jamal Musiala are the two big names on the sidelines, though the duo are expected to make their returns soon.
Union Berlin possible starting lineup:
Ronnow; Leite, Querfeld, Doekhi; Kohn, Kemlein, Khedira, Trimmel; Ansah, Jeong; Burke
Bayern Munich possible starting lineup:
Urbig; Bischof, Tah, Kim, Laimer; Pavlovic, Kimmich; Diaz, Karl, Guerreiro; Kane
We say: Union Berlin 1-3 Bayern Munich
Union Berlin gave Bayern a serious run for their money when they last met, but we expect the visitors to have taken lessons onboard.
While Kompany is not expected to field his strongest team, the Bavarians still have enough quality in the squad to get the job done.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
