It took 120 minutes and a penalty shootout to decide Wednesday’s contest between Bayern and Leipzig – and now it’s the rematch! Three days after their dramatic cup clash, the two sides meet again at the Allianz Arena in Saturday’s prime-time Bundesliga fixture (18:30 CEST, live on Ticker and Webradio). It’s second against third, and last season’s champions against the runners-up. “It’ll certainly be another great match,” commented Jupp Heynckes, who is now banking on the twelfth man of the Allianz Arena crowd after the shootout victory in Leipzig: “In our stadium, with the support of the fans we’re a powerful force. That can perhaps help to overcome any fatigue.”
How the two sides shake off the effects of Wednesday’s gruelling contest is one of the key questions ahead of their rematch. “After 120 minutes it’s not easy for either team to get back into their normal rhythm,” said Heynckes. “Obviously there’s a bit of tiredness there for both teams. But when the game starts, when the adrenaline levels go up, you can vanquish that and find that rhythm again.”
Heynckes believes the DFB Cup win is a psychological advantage for his side, “but that doesn’t mean it’ll be an easier game.” He’s expecting one or two tactical “tricks” from the visitors. “We need another concentrated performance, we need to be aggressive in the challenges again and not let Leipzig into the game,” said Sven Ulreich, the penalty hero on Wednesday.
Martínez fit, James back
Heynckes spotted a few things he liked during the cup win: the team were “clever, tactically smart” and played with “patience”, showing “great character, commitment and confidence.” But they want to do more than just match that performance, as Jérôme Boateng said: “We want to put in an ever better display and claim three points.”
Compared to Wednesday, Bayern have a few more options in terms of personnel. Javi Martínez returned from injury with a cameo appearance in Leipzig and is available to Heynckes, as is James Rodríguez who has overcome his back problems. Kingsley Coman, who’s been nursing a bruised knee, is also fit. Heynckes declared: “It’ll be a top-quality, motivated side that I put out.”
Brash visitors
Leipzig travel to Munich with the same squad they had for the cup tie. The team, who played for over 60 of the 120 minutes with 10 men, have recovered well, according to coach Ralph Hasenhüttl. Now his side are aiming for their first competitive win against Bayern. “If you can win in Dortmund then you needn’t have any fear about playing in Munich. So we’ll go out there with the same brashness and the same mentality,” said Hasenhüttl. “We’ve already fought a few battles away from home. Hopefully we’re in the mood for another one.”
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