It’s showtime in the Bundesliga and Champions League. But before Wednesday’s quarter-final first leg away at Villarreal, Bayern face a domestic highlight as Julian Nagelsmann’s team go to fifth-placed Freiburg on Saturday (kick off at 15:30 CEST, live coverage on fcbayern.com with our text commentary and free web radio). Here’s all you need to know on the game in our preview.
Check out the best photos from Bayern’s final training session:
Situation for Bayern
Several Bayern players were away with their national teams over the past two weeks but returned to Säbener Straße in the last few days and are now ready to take on an impressive Freiburg side. “Freiburg are an excellent opponent,” said Nagelsmann, who will have to focus on managing workloads, injuries and the desire for success in this final run-in of the season. April is looking exciting for FCB, who finished March with a 4-0 win against Union Berlin. Bayern’s visit to the Europa-Park Stadion on Saturday is followed by the two quarter-final legs against Villarreal in the Champions League. Those sandwich a local derby with Augsburg before a top-of-the-table clash with Borussia Dortmund at the Allianz Arena on 23 April. Bayern’s lead at the top is currently six points.
All the facts on the Freiburg game, including their threat from set pieces:
Opponents Freiburg
The trip to Freiburg brings two firsts. It’s the first time Bayern will play at the Europa-Park Stadion, which was opened in October 2021. And it’s the first time the new ground will be filled to its capacity of 34,700. “We’re all looking forward to it. It’s nice when you can see people and not concrete,“ said Freiburg coach Christian Streich. It’s a setup that befits a big game. The hosts are enjoying a great campaign, sitting fifth on 45 points and are also through to the semi-finals of the DFB Cup. Streich, who has been called a “role model” by Nagelsmann, can again call upon Nicolas Höfler, Philipp Lienhart and former FCB man Wooyeong Jeong after their COVID-19 infections. Kevin Schade (stomach muscle injury) and Yannik Keitel (broken toe) are both unavailable.
Player update
Nagelsmann is hopeful of being able to call upon Robert Lewandowski in Freiburg. “He’s taken a knock. We have to see how tender his ribs are. We won’t take any risk. I’m assuming he’ll be in the squad and can play,” the coach said at his press conference. Leon Goretzka has a hip problem, so an appearance from him is up in the air. According to Nagelsmann, he’s “trained brilliantly” of late. The 27-year-old was back in the squad two weeks ago against Union for the first time since overcoming a knee issue. Joshua Kimmich’s wife is expecting a baby, so he will travel to Freiburg later on if able. Serge Gnabry had to pull out of Germany’s squad over the international break due to flu but is fit and available. The same goes for Benjamin Pavard (COVID-19) and Niklas Süle (muscle strain). “Niki trained normally again yesterday,” Nagelsmann confirmed. “I don’t know if he can start tomorrow, but the plan is for him to play some of it.”
Alphonso Davies will definitely be absent even though he has been in team training after recovering from signs of myocarditis. But according to Nagelsmann, he won’t be available until “around the second leg against Villarreal”. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting is also out as he self-isolates.
Watch and listen to Nagelsmann’s pre-match press conference here:
What the coaches say
Julian Nagelsmann: “The football Freiburg play is very good and with great intensity. They have the ability to change their approach during a game. They have strikers who work extremely hard and work back to defend. They’re a tough team to play through, especially in Freiburg. They’ll demand everything from us.”
Christian Streich (SC Freiburg): “It’s always a special game against Bayern, the best team in Germany. It’s always a special challenge. We want to make it tough for Bayern, be on a par with them as much as possible and not feel smaller than them. You need to think about your own strengths and be variable against Bayern.”
Listen to a typically talkative Nagelsmann in the latest informative and insightful edition of the FC Bayern Podcast:
Topics of this article