Bayern ahead of first-round tie in Osnabrück: Ride the momentum and rise to the challenge

102 days after their DFB Cup triumph against VfB Stuttgart at Berlin’s Olympiastadion, FC Bayern begin their title defence on Wednesday evening (live coverage with our text commentary and free web radio on fcbayern.com and in the FC Bayern app from 20.45 CEST). The Munich men's first-round opponents are Bundesliga 2 newcomers VfL Osnabrück. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the tie in our preview.

The best photos from Tuesday’s final training session:

Latest news from FC Bayern

The Supercup win at Borussia Dortmund (2–1) and an impressive opening-day victory in the Bundesliga against VfB Stuttgart (5–1) – the start to the season could hardly have gone better for FC Bayern. But Vincent Kompany’s side want even more and so, following the home win against VfB, they used the time in the dressing room to get themselves in the right frame of mind for the upcoming first-round DFB Cup tie in Osnabrück. “That might sound a bit blunt, but it’s true,” explained board member for sport Max Eberl after the final whistle: “We have to earn it. It won’t just fall into our laps. The match has to be played first before we can be successful. That’s why we intend to keep going.” In other words: ride the momentum, but under no circumstances underestimate the opposition, as captain Manuel Neuer also stressed: “We’ll now try to keep going and get the job done. Osnabrück will be the next tough challenge; we won’t let up.”

The facts on the clash in Osnabrück:

Kompany also urged the team to show the same level of commitment against the supposed underdogs as they had in the first two games of the season: “The most important thing is to realise that it could be difficult, and not to underestimate them. I’ve heard a lot about the Bremer Brücke and what we can expect to find there in Osnabrück,” emphasised the 40-year-old, recalling that in last season’s 3–2 win at third-tier side Wehen Wiesbaden too, the first hurdle was anything but easy: “These matches are tough; that’s part and parcel of the cup competition. You have to be mentally prepared for a real battle.” Nevertheless, the men from Munich rose to the challenge last year and indeed have never failed to get past the first round in their last 30 appearances – a record in the competition.

Read the key statements from the pre-match press conference here:

The opposition: VfL Osnabrück

After starting the season with two defeats, the euphoria surrounding Osnabrück’s promotion was already in danger of fading all too quickly. So the weekend's 1–0 win at VfL Bochum – and with it the first victory of the fledgling season – came at just the right time for the DFB Cup tie against Bayern and will have lifted the spirits of the team, who returned to the second tier this season. “It was important that we picked up the first three points. Now we’ve got a bonus match against Bayern. They are, of course, the clear favourites,” said new signing Adrian Beck, looking ahead to the clash with the cup holders: “We won’t have much possession. But, of course, you have to lie in wait for your chance – and perhaps this will be the mother of all games. You have to have faith; only then can you really cause Bayern problems.

Kompany noted that, during their successful third-division season, Osnabrück had excelled in particular at posing a threat through quick transitions, building on their tight defence. Not everything went to plan at the start of the season, “but then they rediscovered that defensive solidity against Bochum. I can imagine they’ll rely on that successful approach again against us,” the FCB head coach continued. It remains to be seen just how dangerous Osnabrück can be when they capitalise on their own chances, Kompany remarked: “That’s always exciting in a cup tie.” However, the Lower Saxony side have of late lost their reputation as giant killers in the cup. After VfL had knocked a Bundesliga side out of the competition three times as a third-division side at the end of the noughties – and had even stormed through to the quarter-finals in the 2009/10 season – the Purple and Whites were themselves eliminated in the first round in their last two appearances.

We took a look at VfL in our opposition profile:

Team news

Jonas Urbig will be between the posts for the DFB Cup opener, as Vincent Kompany confirmed during his pre-match press conference on Tuesday. For Serge Gnabry, the match comes a tad too soon following his adductor injury from the spring. Jamal Musiala, on the other hand, has recently been back in full training, though it remains to be seen whether he'll be fit enough to feature in the cup tie.

Osnabrück, on the other hand, have a full squad to choose from and have no absentees ahead of their cup clash with Bayern.

What the coaches say

Test your knowledge of the CFB Cup in our Matchday Quiz: