The time for talking is over, things now “get serious”, according to Bayern’s sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic. FCB bring to an end to six weeks of pre-season training when they kick off the new season on Sunday evening (20:30 CEST) with the DFL Supercup against DFB Cup winners Eintracht Frankfurt. Two weeks before the curtain is raised on the 2018/19 Bundesliga season, the first silverware of the campaign is already on the line.
“We absolutely want to beat Frankfurt. It’s not just any old game for us. The Supercup means a lot, and that’s how we’re approaching the game,” said Bayern captain Manuel Neuer, recalling the cup final loss to Eintracht almost three months ago. “We all know what happened in Berlin. I think the coach is highly motivated, and so are we players.”
For the coaching duo of Niko and Robert Kovac, it marks 85 days since the final in Berlin and the return to their former place of work at the Commerzbank-Arena in Frankfurt. “I’m looking forward to seeing many familiar faces again,” said Kovac, who had “two and a quarter really great years” in Frankfurt. “We crowned that time with the DFB Cup.” However, for him it is now all about FC Bayern. “I know the Eintracht team like the back of my hand. We want to use the opposition’s weaknesses to our advantage.”
A mixed line-up – All change at Frankfurt
“These are special circumstances,” said Thomas Müller, who knows about the importance of the match. “I think the coach desperately wants to win, and we players do as well. We’re seriously hungry for success, especially after the last few months,” the forward made plain. Joshua Kimmich also added, “Everyone who plays for us is hungry for titles. We’ve got a score to settle with Frankfurt. Even if that doesn’t quite make up for losing the cup final, we absolutely want to win.”
And for that Kovac has an almost full squad to choose from. “I’ve got 19 healthy players, plus James who is half fit,” the new coach announced at Friday’s press conference. The Colombian picked up a knock to his ankle in the friendly match against Rottach-Egern, which has thrown his appearance in Frankfurt into doubt. One player who will definitely miss out is new world champion Corentin Tolisso. “We’ll have to mix things up a little with the line-up,” said Kovac, suggesting a mix of World Cup participants and those players who had “six weeks of hard pre-season behind them”.
There have also been a number of changes in Frankfurt since the cup win. Austrian Adi Hütter is Kovac’s successor on the touchline, while there are 12 new faces in the squad following eight departures, including key men such as Lukas Hradecky, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Omar Mascarell and Marius Wolf. To what extent Eintracht have overcome that upheaval will become clear on Sunday in front of their home fans. “We’re playing against the best team in Germany, but it goes without saying we want to win,” Hütter said ahead of his home debut in charge.
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