Bayern Munich vs. Werder Bremen: Team News, Preview, Live Stream, TV Info
Bayern Munich will look to keep their treble hopes alive as they face Werder Bremen in the DFB-Pokal on Tuesday. The winner of their head-to-head battle will go to Berlin next month to take on the victor of Hertha BSC vs. Borussia Dortmund in the final.
Pep Guardiola had a chance to rest several stars over the weekend and still managed to earn a 3-0 win against Schalke. After their successful warm-up, Bayern will be fresh and ready for the single-elimination match that awaits.
Despite the positive result, Guardiola was critical of his side, per the official Bayern website.
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"I'm a little dismayed by our performance. We played football for 35 minutes, not more," he said. "I hope this match was a lesson for the game against Bremen on Tuesday."
Bremen tuned up for Tuesday's clash with an excellent performance in a 3-2 win against Wolfsburg over the weekend. The result left them four points clear of Eintracht Frankfurt, meaning the northern German side would participate in the relegation/promotion play-off if the season were to end today.
Despite their league woes, Bremen have performed well in the Pokal and now stand just 90 minutes away from a surprise appearance in the final. It would be their first such final since 2010, when they lost to Bayern a year after they had hoisted the trophy.
Bremen face an uphill battle in their fight to stay in the Bundesliga, but perhaps a win in the Pokal might spur them on to greater things on the domestic stage. Their win on Saturday was a good step; now they will look to build on that success. But against Bayern, it will be an extremely tall task.
Date: Tuesday, April 19
Time: 7:30 p.m. BST/2:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. local time
Venue: Allianz Arena, Munich
TV Info: ESPN Deportes (U.S. only), BT Sport Europe (UK only)
Live Stream: Fox Soccer 2Go (U.S. only), BT Sport Player (UK only)
Form Guide
| Bayern Munich | Werder Bremen |
| Schalke: Win | Wolfsburg: Win |
| Benfica: Draw | Augsburg: Win |
| Stuttgart: Win | Dortmund: Loss |
| Benfica: Win | Mainz: Draw |
| Eintracht Frankfurt: Win | Bayern: Loss |
Team News
Bayern Munich
Every member of the starting lineup from Saturday's game reported for training on Sunday, according to the Bayern website. Javi Martinez (who had been rested against Schalke) joined the squad program as well.
Arjen Robben completed individual training. The Dutchman, as well as long-term absentees Holger Badstuber and Jerome Boateng, should miss out on Tuesday's action.
Possible Bayern starting XI: Neuer; Lahm, Martinez, Alaba, Bernat; Alonso, Vidal; Costa, Muller, Ribery; Lewandowski.
Werder Bremen
Papy Djilobodji should be back in action for Bremen after missing Saturday's match with a suspension. However, the visitors will be without Aron Johannsson, Philipp Bargfrede, Michael Zetterer and Raphael Wolf as they continue to work toward recovery from injuries.
Possible Bremen starting XI: Wiedwald; Gebre Selassie, Djilobodji, Vestergaard, Garcia; Fritz, Junuzovic, Grillitsch; Yatabare, Pizarro, Bartels.
Players to Watch
Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller will favor their chances against a notoriously leaky Bremen defense, the Bayern duo having combined for three goals against Werder in March. Beyond them, Arturo Vidal's energy and drive could settle the midfield battle decisively in the Bavarians' favor.
For the visitors, Claudio Pizarro is certainly one to watch as he looks to prove to his former club that he still has something left in the tank. As well, free-kick specialist Zlatko Junuzovic could prove decisive from set pieces.
Key Battles
Arturo Vidal vs. Zlatko Junuzovic
Vidal has arguably been Bayern's best player of the spring term, the Chilean coming up aces again and again in big matches. He scored vital goals in each leg against Benfica in the UEFA Champions League, and his performances against Juventus and Dortmund were top-class. If Tuesday's match is tight, expect another statement from Vidal.
Bremen will expect to have little of the ball, so their efficiency will be key. To that end, how Junuzovic plays could have a big influence on the result. The Austria international has seemingly endless stamina in midfield and can deliver the ball exceptionally well over long distances—both qualities that could come in handy against Bayern.
Javi Martinez vs. Claudio Pizarro
Bayern have rarely had fit central defenders this season, but Martinez is healthy, and his recent return to action has been a big boost to the German giants' back line. Martinez has the size and athleticism that Bayern for so long had been missing in the center of defense, and he is reliable in possession as a starting point for the attack.
Pizarro nearly single-handedly pulled Bremen out of the relegation zone in the Bundesliga this season, and despite being 37 years of age, he continues to assert himself as one of the best strikers in Germany. He has a knack for scoring big goals and could be the man to upset Bayern on Tuesday.
Odds
Bayern: 2/17
Draw: 11/1
Bremen: 25/1
(courtesy of Oddschecker)
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