Thomas Tuchel admitted Bayern Munich’s traditional Oktoberfest celebrations were sensible and he’ll be hoping his side don’t endure a humiliating hangover from their 7-0 beatdown of Bochum when they begin their DFB-Pokal campaign on Tuesday night.
Bayern’s victory ensured they remained alongside Bayer Leverkusen at the top of the Bundesliga table, and they’ll be hoping for a stress-free outing in Munster ahead of Saturday’s duel with RB Leipzig.
Third-tier Preussen Munster play host to Die Roten on Tuesday hoping to score a mammoth upset. They’ve faced the Rekordmeister just once in their history where they were brushed aside by a Pep Guardiola-led Bayern 4-1 in 2014.
Here’s the lineup Tuchel could deploy in the DFB-Pokal first round on Tuesday night.
GK: Daniel Peretz – Tuchel confirmed that current second-choice goalkeeper Peretz will get the nod for this cup tie.
RB: Bouna Sarr – With Noussair Mazraoui failing to make Saturday’s matchday squad, Sarr could earn a rare start on Tuesday night.
CB: Dayot Upamecano – With De Ligt absent, there’s little scope for Tuchel to rotate here. Thus, Bayern’s two favoured centre-back options could start against the distinctly inferior Munster.
CB: Kim Min-jae – The South Korean will be hoping for a serene outing against the third-tier outfit.
LB: Frans Kratzig – Tuchel should give a couple of youngsters a shot in this one, with Kratzig, who’s appeared in the Bundesliga this season, replacing Alphonso Davies at left-back. Raphael Guerreiro is also expected to be available.
CM: Konrad Laimer – A manager’s dream. Tuchel has quickly taken a liking to Laimer, and he could be used in midfield on Tuesday after starting the last few games at right-back.
CM: Leon Goretzka – Stand-in skipper Joshua Kimmich will likely be rested ahead of the weekend, with the indefatigable Goretzka making up a tireless midfield pivot alongside Laimer.
RM: Serge Gnabry – An unused substitute at the weekend, Gnabry will be desperate to get the nod on Tuesday after missing out on Saturday’s fun.
AM: Thomas Muller – With Tuchel managing Jamal Musiala’s minutes, the wily Muller could get the nod in the fluid number 10 role.
LM: Mathys Tel – The Frenchman has impressed almost every time he’s taken to the field this season, but Harry Kane’s presence means he’ll only play a bit-part role. This is a big opportunity for Tel to shine.
ST: Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting – The veteran forward started Saturday’s game against Bochum, but it’s likely that Harry Kane will be rested ahead of Saturday’s trip to RB Leipzig. Expect plenty of rotation between the Cameroonian forward and Tel.
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