Hamburg vs. Bayern Munich: Key Issues and Decisions That Will Shape Game

Bayern Munich return to Hamburg for the second time this season on Wednesday, taking on HSV in the second round of the DFB-Pokal.

The two sides played to a scoreless draw in late September, one of just two Bundesliga fixtures in which Pep Guardiola's men have failed to come out on top. The German league and cup holders will aim to set the record straight against HSV, who are 16th on the domestic front with their point against Bayern being one of just six earned in nine fixtures. With the exception of Sunday's scoreless draw with Gladbach, Bayern have since won every game they've played in all competitions, reaching peak form especially after this month's international break.

Bayern are runaway favorites but anything could happen in the Pokal, of course. Ahead of Wednesday's encounter, B/R takes investigates the factors that could influence the result. Click "Begin Slideshow" for a closer look.

Pierre-Michel Lasogga

Matthias Schrader/Associated Press

Pierre-Michel Lasogga is probably Hamburg's most dangerous weapon against Bayern if he plays to his potential. Although injuries have blighted his career and perhaps masked his potential at times, the 22-year-old's fine form last season saw him called up to the German national team.

This season has not exactly started well for Lasogga, but having scored in two of his last three games for Hamburg, the ex-Hertha man seems to be on his way back to his prolific ways.

Lasogga is not the fastest striker in the Bundesliga, but he has the physical strength to cause real trouble for Bayern center-backs Jerome Boateng, Mehdi Benatia and Dante. Capable of finishing with his head and both feet, he has more than enough weapons to strike. And against Bayern, he couldn't have more motivation.

Guardiola's Selection

Matthias Schrader/Associated Press

Wednesday's match in Hamburg will be Bayern's fourth fixture in 11 days. Before that, there was the international "break," a poorly-named period of time considering how many Bayern players featured for their respective national teams.

Things could be worse for Bayern; in fact, they have been in recent memory. Injuries and form are less of a concern than they were a month ago, and they've recently enjoyed some blow-out victories that were less physically and emotionally draining than they could have been otherwise.

Pep Guardiola will therefore have to be careful to select the right players. He'll have to balance the risk of losing a one-off match by using reserves against the risk of overusing his first team and risking injury or fatigue in more important fixtures. On the plus side for Bayern fans, the trainer seems to be doing nearly everything right as of late.

Hamburg, by contrast, will enter Wednesday's game having played on Saturday, but not for a week prior. They'll be fresher and may well be up for a fight.

The One-off Effect

Martin Meissner/Associated Press

Single-elimination cup matches have a strange way of bringing the best out of underdogs, especially in the Pokal. Three years ago, 2. Bundesliga sides MSV Duisburg and Energie Cottbus met in the semifinal, with the former later finishing runners-up. Two years ago, Bayern and Dortmund met in the final but only after being forced to play in extra time against Gladbach and Furth, respectively; the Bayern match even required penalty shoot-out.

The Pokal is a tournament for upsets, one that gives extra motivation to smaller clubs based on its very nature as a one-off tournament. In the Bundesliga, fear can be a potent weapon. Nearly the entire German top flight feared Dortmund until recently, but a couple poor results have emboldened their opponents and piled misery upon them. Most every team that takes on Bayern do so with fear, knowing that even their best efforts will probably be in vain and ultimately will be worth only three points. Why fight at 110 percent for a lost cause worth the same number of points as any other match when the same effort will probably produce a positive result against a lesser team?

There is no "next week" in the Pokal, just victory and progress or defeat and failure. Being paired with Bayern was a bit of bad luck for Hamburg, but it provides a stage for their players to show their qualities. The longer HSV go without conceding, the bolder they will become.

Form of Bayern's Fringe Players

Matthias Schrader/Associated Press

Assuming Guardiola uses a rotation and brings in some players who are less often selected, the form of some players on the squad's periphery could make all the difference. The likes of Xherdan Shaqiri and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg have been excellent for country but have had few chances at club level.

With fatigue of the first-teamers clearly an issue of concern after the Gladbach draw, Shaqiri, Hojbjerg and others in the Bayern squad may well be given substantial playing time on Wednesday. If they're motivated, they could explode into form. But it will be a big challenge, as it is for any professional athlete to summon their best form without having a few prior games to gather confidence and sharpness.

Still, Bayern are a demanding club with more than a first XI of players who would start at most clubs. Their reserves have tremendous class and know that failure is not an option. Wednesday could be a big game for a player like Shaqiri to reaffirm his credentials.