German champions Bayern Munich will look to continue on their Supercup triumph against Dortmund as they travel to the East of Germany to face Chemnitzer FC in the first round of DFB Pokal on Saturday.
The Bavarians will be high on confidence following their recent Supercup triumph but third division opponent can’t necessarily be underestimated. Although, we expect many top fiddle players to be given a chance in the wake of their Bundesliga campaign, which starts as early as next week. Here’s the 4-3-3 predicted Bayern lineup to appear against Die Himmelblauen.
Goalkeeper: Sven Ulreich, the second choice goalkeeper has the onus of replacing Manuel Neuer, as the German National team captain continues his spell on the sidelines. Although he might be able to return soon enough.
Right Back: Joshua Kimmich will start, ahead of Rafinha in the right back position. Kimmich was perhaps the best player for Bayern in their victory over Dortmund just a week ago. So far, the 21-year-old seems to be a great successor of Philipp Lahm.
Center Back(R): It will be a chance for new signing Niklas Sule to prove his credentials, as Javi Martinez and Jerome Boateng are probably ruled out for the clash. Sule performed very well when he replaced Javi Martinez in the hour mark and also scored in the penalty shootout.
Center Back(L): Mats Hummels has looked, surprisingly shaky, in the pre-season so far. Playing against lower league opponents could actually help the former Dortmund captain.
Left Back: Marco Friedl might start ahead of David Alaba in the left back position. The youngster got promoted to the first team following his impressive performance at the youth level. Friedl will be looking to make a strong impression playing against the East Germany rivals.
Central Defensive Midfield: Sebastian Rudy was super impressive against Dortmund in the Supercup. He brought composure and subtleness into Bayern’s midfield play. The former TSG midfielder seems to be a better acquisition than super expensive Corentin Tolisso.
Central Midfield: Speaking of Tolisso, he looks all set to be starting in central midfield alongside Sebastian Rudy but in slightly advanced position. He hasn’t been particularly impressive so far for his new team and will be hungry to make a big impact playing against Chemnitzer FC.
Central Midfield: Renato Sanches, despite all the transfer speculation surrounding him, is expected to partner Tolisso and Rudy in central midfield. Even though recent transfer talks with Manchester United or AC Milan has stalled, a good performance will still make him a must have target for several top European clubs.
Right Wing: Thomas Muller is expected to keep his place in the starting lineup following his great show against Dortmund. Muller will definitely cause a trouble or two for the poor Chemnitzer defence.
Left Wing: Kingsley Coman will be chosen ahead of Franck Ribery on the left flank. Coman hasn’t been a regular feature under Carlo Ancelotti but that might change soon if he can produce some quality performances early in the season.
Striker: Bayern’s main man, Robert Lewandowski will lead the line once again for the Bavarians. The Polish International will polish up his scoring boots just before the season starts next week.
