FC Bayern are away at Augsburg in the second round of the DFB Cup on Wednesday (kick-off at 20:45 CEST, coverage with our live text and free web radio on fcbayern.com and in the FC Bayern app). Just five weeks on from the 1-0 loss there in the Bundesliga, Julian Nagelsmann’s team are now seeking revenge in the cup. Here’s all you need to know in the game in our preview.
Check out the best photos from final training on Tuesday:
Situation for Bayern
The second stop on the road to Berlin takes Bayern to near neighbours Augsburg. The second round was also the end of FCB’s DFB Cup journeys in each of the last two seasons, meaning there’s even more motivation to overcome this hurdle in Augsburg and reach the last 16. “It’s been a topic that it absolutely cannot happen to us again for a third time,” Nagelsmann explained at his press conference on Tuesday. Bayern will at least go into this knockout match full of confidence after a comprehensive 5-0 victory at home to Freiburg in the Bundesliga. “Freiburg is the benchmark for us in terms of always performing like that,” Nagelsmann added. “We were incredibly disciplined, stuck to our positions and had good patterns. We played very good football, but also defended passionately.” It’s now about backing up that performance in Augsburg.
Watch Nagelsmann’s press conference in full:
Opponents Augsburg
Augsburg have already got one over Bayern this season with the 1-0 league win in September. “Augsburg did really well and they’ll definitely do well again tomorrow, with extreme physicality, good force, simple patterns but very high pressing,” Nagelsmann said in his analysis. Enrico Maaßen’s team currently sit 13th in the table after a 3-2 loss at Köln on Sunday. They comfortably advanced from the first round of the cup with a 4-0 win at lower-league Blau-Weiß Lohne.
Here’s 5 facts on the game:
Player update
Long-term injury absentees Bouna Sarr and Lucas Hernandez have now been joined by Leroy Sane and captain Manuel Neuer on the list of players unavailable on Wednesday. Noussair Mazraoui missed final training on Tuesday because of a muscular problem. “He’ll come with us to Augsburg but we’ll have to see what makes sense,” Nagelsmann explained. Thomas Müller isn’t yet fit to start after his muscular issue but will also be part of the squad. However, Kingsley Coman is available again after missing the Freiburg game through suspension.
Augsburg are without first-choice goalkeeper Rafal Gikiewicz, who made a string of match-winning saves in the league meeting, with a thigh injury. However, Maaßen does now have central defensive duo Jeffrey Gouweleeuw and Maximilian Bauer available again after they served bans at the weekend.
What the coaches say
Julian Nagelsmann: “Our ambition is to win the cup, so we have to win against Augsburg tomorrow. That’s the job. I’m assuming they’ll play like they did in the league game. That’ll push us to reach the same level physically. Their attacking pressing, their counter-pressing is very good, incredibly active.”
Enrico Maaßen (Augsburg head coach): “The stadium will be full and we want another Augsburg celebration day. We’ve managed to beat them at home twice in a row. Why not a third time? We need that energy, creativity and passion again.”
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