What Bayern can learn from Bundesliga game at Union Berlin ahead of DFB Cup tie

Only 25 days on from the 2-2 draw away at Union Berlin in the Bundesliga, Bayern are back at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei on Wednesday battling for a place in the quarter-finals of the DFB Cup. fcbayern.com takes a look back on the league meeting to see what can be learned, plus how Union have got on since then.

Doekhi double from set pieces

One guarantee in this cup clash is that there won’t be a draw. Back in November it took a 93rd-minute goal from Harry Kaneto keep Bayern unbeaten in the Bundesliga this season. One thing Vincent Kompany’s team will be especially wary of this time is Union’s dead balls. Both their goals the other week came as a result of set plays, with Danilho Doekhi pouncing at a corner and then making the most of a miscued clearance at a free-kick.

There were many pieces of the puzzle that didn't quite fit together on that Saturday afternoon in Köpenick, with a difficult opening phase, a lack of luck, a tense atmosphere, and an opponent that dug in deep in front of their own box. At least the last two factors are something the record champions will have to reckon with again in the cup.

Tough conditions, important lessons

Despite a performance that was not entirely convincing, Bayern ultimately came away with a point. What was the key to the late equaliser? Kane summed it up after the game when he said, “We had to fight and stay calm. And that's what we did.” This attitude will also be important on Wednesday. Union will once again do everything they can to make life as difficult as possible for the 20-time cup winners, with lots of long balls, a compact defence and constant danger from set pieces.

Bayern proved just recently that they can cope with such adversity. In their 3-1 home win against St. Pauli, they once again demonstrated their resilience, coming back from an early 1-0 deficit and tirelessly attacking the visitors’ tight defence until the Bavarians' sustained pressure became too much in injury time. If Kompany's team shows the same determination and resilience in the capital, the foundations for a successful cup evening will be laid.

Union covered 128 kilometres against Bayern three weeks ago. A high running workload is needed against Michael Olise and his fellow attackers to keep the spaces tight at all times, which Union managed to do well for long stretches. This is precisely where the crux of the matter lies. For Bayern, it will be a question of converting their high possession - 74 percent in the Bundesliga fixture – into scoring opportunities despite the limited space around the opposition penalty area.

Union’s recent form

The draw in Köpenick just over three weeks ago showed how tough it can be there, said sporting director Christoph Freund. However, Wednesday’s meeting starts from scratch and is a “different game”.

Union themselves took confidence from being the first team to get a result against Bayern this season into their next Bundesliga game against St. Pauli, winning 1-0. They were very close to repeating the feat at home to Heidenheim at the weekend but conceded two late goals to lose 2-1. It saw Steffen Baumgart’s side slip to 10th in the table on 15 points from 12 games and a mixed feeling going into the cup.

Defender as top scorer

In addition, Union’s attack has not really got going lately. In the last five league games, they have scored only four times. Their last goal from a forward dates back to 21 September. Their goal threat does not primarily come from the attacking line, but from around the team. Doekhi, who was already a known danger in front of goal before his brace against Bayern, has already scored six times across all competitions this season. Rani Khedira has also shone as a goalscorer recently, finding the net against both St. Pauli and Heidenheim. Nevertheless, Bayern would be well advised not to underestimate the physical power of the attacking trio of Oliver Burke, Andrej Ilić and Ilyas Ansah.

Plus there’s the well-known factor of the famous 12th man at the Alte Försterei. “It's a difficult place to play, with an emotional atmosphere,” said Freund of playing in Köpenick. Tom Bischof also expects a challenging task: “It's always tough to play in the cup.” Aleksandar Pavlović summed up the approach: “Every cup game is a final. And that's how we have to approach Wednesday's game in Berlin.”

Read up on the pre-match facts: