After the celebration in the Champions League during the week, FC Bayern will face Union Berlin in the Bundesliga on Saturday. How does coach Thomas Tuchel line up?
Munich – After Arsenal is before Real Madrid, right?
Of course it's not that easy at FC Bayern. Although the Munich team no longer has a chance of winning the championship title in the Bundesliga since last weekend, coach Thomas Tuchel's team still has to play the remaining five games.
Although the focus in the next two weeks will of course be on the semi-final first leg against the Royals (April 30). On Saturday, the people of Munich will first travel to the capital, where Union Berlin will be waiting at 6:30 p.m. The specter of relegation is still ever-present at the Alte Försterei, which is why Bayern will compete with all the seriousness they deserve.
Tuchel warns his FC Bayern about Union: “The season is not over yet”
“That’s the task now,” Tuchel revealed at the press conference on Friday afternoon: “To get yourself in the mental condition to be ready for tomorrow evening and to accept the game as it has to be accepted. We still have a few points to gain, the season isn’t over yet.”
Nevertheless, it is likely that the Bayern coach will start the rotation machine after the exhausting Wednesday. “We had a few problems before the game,” admitted Tuchel, without naming names.
Serge Gnabry, Kingsley Coman, Sacha Boey and Bouna Sarr will definitely be out. According to Tuchel, Leroy Sané will only be taken to Berlin if a “medical miracle” has happened overnight - in other words: the national player gets his well-deserved break.
Bayern team against Union Berlin: Tuchel wants to make a decision at short notice
The Bayern coach didn't have a starting eleven in mind on Friday, as he revealed in the press room on Säbener Strasse: "I have to be patient a little longer because we won't sit down with the physios and the players until after the afternoon training and maybe make a few changes.”
Manuel Neuer, who has had recurring adductor problems recently, trained normally with the team on Thursday. “We have to see who can really play without any symptoms and without risk,” said Tuchel. If the captain has problems, Sven Ulreich will be back in the box.
Alphonso Davies could return to the back four, even though Noussair Mazraoui did an outstanding job against Arsenal on Wednesday. Minjae Kim and Dayot Upamecano could also start instead of Eric Dier and Matthijs de Ligt.
The expected line-up of FC Bayern at Union Berlin
Neuer – Kimmich, Upamecano, Kim, Davies – Pavlovic, Laimer – Tel, Müller, Guerreiro – Kane
Youngster Aleksandar Pavlovic has a starting position in the double six. Thomas Müller and Mathys Tel should also get their chances from the start in Bayern's thinned-out offensive. Especially for veteran Müller, the Champions League was an absolute novelty.
It is doubtful whether long-running favorite Harry Kane will get a break in Berlin. The striker, who has scored 32 league goals so far, will do everything he can to break Robert Lewandowski's record (41 goals) in the remaining five games of the season.
(smk)
Florian Schimak reports from Säbener Straße