'More to come!' Hungry Bayern longing to return to Berlin

A cup thriller in Leverkusen! On Wednesday night (live coverage with our text commentary and free web radio on fcbayern.com and in the FC Bayern app from 20.45 CEST), FC Bayern are away to Bayer 04 in the semi-finals of the DFB Cup, and the Munich men are aiming to return to Berlin after a six-year absence. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the clash in our preview.

Check out the best photos from the final training session on Friday:

Latest news from FC Bayern

After winning the league title with four games to play, FC Bayern's hunt for silverware continues! The reactions on Sunday evening following the 4-2 win against VfB Stuttgart showed the Munich side's hunger is far from being satiated. "The players were incredibly happy, we won the most important and most honest title, but there's more to come. We have a very important game on Wednesday, we really want to be in the final in Berlin again," explained CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen. Bayern's focus quickly turned to the upcoming cup semi-final in Leverkusen. "The decisive weeks are coming up now. We're looking forward to them, but we also know how difficult it will be. Our belief is there - and that's worth a lot in football," said head coach Vincent Kompany.

Read the key statements from the press conference here:

The impressive performances in the Bundesliga and in the Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid have boosted Bayern's confidence even further. "We trust in ourselves and know what to expect. These are very special games. You shouldn't talk it down, but the preparation remains the same as for all the other games. We're looking forward to it," said Kompany in Tuesday's press conference. Board member for sport Max Eberl, who won the cup with RB Leipzig in 2023, formulated reaching the final as the clear goal: "It's an incredible experience, we want to achieve that, we're fully focused on it."

The facts on the clash with Leverkusen:

The opposition: Bayer 04 Leverkusen

FC Bayern vs. Bayer 04 Leverkusen has in recent times electrified the football fraternity in Germany like no other match-up. "It's the eighth game in two years against Leverkusen. The players know each other well and we know exactly what to expect," said Kompany. The last meeting with the Werkself was just over a month ago. In the Bundesliga game at the BayArena, the Munich side earned a point (1-1) despite being down to ten men. "We saw in the last game which emotions you need - and which you're better off leaving at home. What we always experienced there was a great fight , so we're not expecting anything different this time," added the boss.

We take a look at the upcoming opponents in our analysis:

Leverkusen lost 2-1 to FC Augsburg in the dress rehearsal for the semi-final clash with FC Bayern on Saturday. As a result, coach Kasper Hjulmand's side suffered a setback in the race for a Champions League berth. However, the Werkself have switched straight back into attack mode and are going into the game against Bayern with big goals. "We're playing with great energy in our own stadium, so we absolutely have to put in another top performance. We've already played well against good opponents this season. The team is ready for the game and will give everything they've got. The players are playing for the fans and the club and will give their all to achieve the goal of getting to Berlin," said Hjulmand.

Team news

Bayern will be missing Serge Gnabry (torn adductor muscle in his right thigh), Lennart Karl (muscle fibre tear in the back of his right thigh), Tom Bischof (small muscle fibre tear in his left calf) and Sven Ulreich (rehabilitive training after a torn muscle bundle) for the clash.

Leverkusen will be without Arthur (torn medial syndesmosis ligament) and Martin Terrier (muscle injury).

What the coaches say

Test your knowledge of the fixture in our Matchday Quiz: