FC Nottingen vs. Bayern Munich: Team News, Preview, Live Stream, TV Info
Bayern Munich begins its quest to reclaim the DFB-Pokal on Sunday as it heads to Karlsruhe to take on FC Nottingen.
The Bavarians were eliminated on penalties in the semifinal of last season's competition and will be keen to put their best foot forward ahead of next Friday's Bundesliga restart.
Pep Guardiola's squad appears to be complete following a flurry of transfers that brought such stars as Douglas Costa and Arturo Vidal to the Allianz Arena, and the Bavarians' recent triumph in the Audi Cup suggests they are ready for the tests to come.
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The Bavarians will have a nearly full squad available and will be out-and-out favorites, but sporting director Matthias Sammer warned his team not to be complacent during Friday's pre-match press conference. The retired Germany international told reporters (via Spox, link in German) that he had five analysts working on preparations for Sunday's game and that Bayern would have to treat the match like any other in league play.
Bayern will take on unfamiliar opponents in the form of Nottingen, which was founded in 1957 and has spent its entire history in the amateur leagues. Having finished 15th in the Regionalliga Sudwest last season, Nottingen was demoted to the Oberliga Baden-Wurttemberg, located in the fifth tier of the German football pyramid.
Having won the 2015 North Baden Cup, however, Nottingen managed to book its place in the 2015-16 Pokal along with 20 other regional cup winners. It'll have it all to do, though, as it takes on one of world football's finest clubs in the shape of Bayern Munich.
Date: Sunday, August 9
Time: 3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. EST/4 p.m. local time
Venue: Wildparkstadion, Karlsruhe
TV Info: ESPN Deportes (U.S. only, in Spanish), ESPN (UK only)
Live Stream: ESPN3 (U.S. only), ESPN (via BT Sport Client, UK only)
Form Guide
| Nottingen | Bayern |
| Birkenfeld: Win | Real Madrid: Win |
| Schluchtern: Win | Milan: Win |
| Neckarrems: Win | Wolfsburg: Draw |
| Linx: Win | Guangzhou Evergrande: Draw |
| Niefern: Win | Inter: Win |
Predicted Lineups
In Friday's press conference, Sammer mentioned that Thiago Alcantara's fitness for Sunday's game remains questionable, with the midfielder struggling with a stomach-related illness. He added that Arjen Robben and Javi Martinez have performed well in training and are in contention to play, and that even in the case of long-term absentee Franck Ribery, there is reason to be positive.
Facing lower-league opposition, Guardiola will more likely than not play an ultra-aggressive lineup to try to run up the score, so fans should probably expect no more than one natural center back in his starting lineup.
Possible Bayern Munich starting XI: Neuer; Lahm, Boateng, Alaba; Vidal, Alonso, Thiago; Gotze; Muller, Lewandowski, Costa
Possible Nottingen starting XI: Kraski; Bitzer, Brenner, Fuchs, Frank; Gur, Brauning, Schneckenberger, Bilger, Hecht-Zirpel; Schurg
Players to Watch
Douglas Costa had a brilliant preseason and has already become a fan favorite for Bayern, with his combination of skillful technique and explosive quickness making him a joy to watch.
The pressure will be on Mario Gotze as he tries to force his way back into Guardiola's good graces. He's proved in the past that he has plenty of quality but has yet to really make a breakthrough as part of the Bayern team.
Elsewhere, Thomas Muller will also be under a bit of pressure, with Robben and Robert Lewandowski all but assured starting roles and Costa making a huge impression already.
Key Battles
Timo Brenner vs. Robert Lewandowski
By this point in his career, Robert Lewandowski hardly needs an introduction. He was lethal in the Audi Cup, scoring a brilliant goal against Milan before netting a late winner against Real Madrid. He'll be Bayern's most likely first to hit the target and could really run the score up.
Timo Brenner, on the other hand, is Nottingen's captain and will have the responsibility of organizing his teammates to keep Lewandowski and Co. at bay. It's a daunting task, but someone will have to try.
Colin Bitzer vs. Douglas Costa
Costa, as previously introduced, truly is the sensation of the summer transfer window. He's flown past opponents again and again, with his acceleration proving to be phenomenal. And he has all sorts of tricks up his sleeve.
Opposite Costa will be the young Colin Bitzer, a right-sided all-rounder who will face easily the biggest test of his career on Sunday. The 19-year-old recently signed from SSV Reutlingen and could make a real impression if he at least slows down Costa.
Odds (courtesy of Odds Checker)
Nottingen: 142-1
Draw: 55-1
Bayern: 1-40
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