Hamburg vs. Bayern Munich: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview
Hamburg will host Bayern Munich during the second round of the DFB-Pokal on Wednesday, as the beleaguered hosts face the daunting task of stopping an in-form Bavarian squad.
Pep Guardiola's troops are once again running away with the Bundesliga title and thrashed Italian side AS Roma 7-1 in Champions League action. They're also coming off a goalless draw against Borussia Monchengladbach, and the defending champions will be out to make a statement.
The hosts are battling against relegation and are in dire need of some positive results, and against the almighty Bavarians a win may be a near-impossible thing.
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Date: Wednesday, October 29
Time: 7.30 p.m. GMT/3.30 p.m. ET
Venue: Imtech Arena, Hamburg
TV info and live stream: The match will be broadcast on ESPN UK (for UK viewers) and ESPN Deportes (for US viewers), with mobile coverage available via the ESPN 3 online app.
Preview
To say Hamburg have been a disappointment early in the 2014-15 Bundesliga season would be quite the understatement. Once regulars for the European spots, the hosts have won just one match all season and currently find themselves in 16th place in the standings, a spot reserved for a relegation play-off at the end of the season.
Hertha Berlin hammered the team 3-0 in their last Bundesliga outing, and as reported by Soccerway, manager Joe Zinnbauer didn't shy away from admitting a midweek fixture against Bayern would be difficult:
"We must calm down, regenerate and prepare for our tough DFB Cup tie at home to Bayern Munich in midweek. We will stick with our concept, to question everything after a defeat would be wrong, we now have to pick up the players again and restore confidence.
"
Hamburg's saving grace may be the fact the German champions are in a particularly difficult stretch of their schedule, and they may rest one or two key players on Wednesday.
Having already played Roma and Monchengladbach, the Bavarians will host Borussia Dortmund and the return fixture against Roma following their midweek match against Hamburg.
Guardiola can afford to rest some of his starters, however, as the Bavarians have one of the deepest groups in all of football. Arjen Robben didn't even take place on the bench against Monchengladbach, and via Goal's Cristian Nyari, the decision to rest him came as a precaution against possible injury:
The Dutch international was phenomenal against Roma and will be needed in the coming weeks, so he could be one of many to only see the pitch in a limited role (or not at all) on Wednesday.
Then again, he will be anxious to show his abilities after being added to the DFB's Walk of Fame, as he exclaimed what a tremendous honour it is for him, speaking to the federation's official website:
"This is a huge honour for me. It's great that something will commemorate me even after my playing career.
That's what every footballer wants to experience. It's a huge event with a unique atmosphere. It's why you play football. And if you manage to get a win on top of that, it's the best feeling!
"
Manager Guardiola finds himself in hot water after a touchline incident with the fourth official, and as reported by the Independent's Tom Sheen, the Spaniard could face a ban.
Nearly everything has gone right in the 2014-15 season so far for Bayern, and the incident is one Guardiola will want people to forget in a hurry. A big win against Hamburg will go a long way in achieving that, so expect the visitors to come up with attacking intent and deliver on the enormous expectations.
Predictions: Hamburg 0-3 Bayern Munich
