Gladbach will be the host of the game in the DFB Pokal. Julian Nagelsmann plans to win the game and advance to the next level.
Big game between Gladbach and Bayern Munich
Gladbach and Bayern lifted the curtain on the Bundesliga season with a 1-1 draw at Borussia Park, with Alassane Plea putting the Foals in front and Lewandowski levelling for the record champions. While the Bayern forward has gone on to score a further nine goals, that remains the Frenchman’s one and only goal of the current campaign, though he could be in line for a return to the starting XI after replacing Lars Stindl at half-time of Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Hertha Berlin and looking like the Foals’ most likely goalscorer. Coach Adi Hütter will need his sharpest shooters against a side who have conceded only eight goals all season and beat Hoffenheim 4-0 at the weekend to cement their place at the top of the Bundesliga, with double Gladbach’s 11 points. At the other end of the field, the stability provided by Matthias Ginter was sorely missed at the weekend and Hütter will hope to have the German defender back after he missed the trip to the capital with a cold.
Nagelsmann will be absent
Bayern will again be without their coach Julian Nagelsmann due to illness, but he will have briefed his assistants Dino Toppmöller and Xaver Zembrod of his plans for beating Gladbach and moving a step closer to a 21st DFB Cup title. That could include starts for Kingsley Coman and Leroy Sane, with rotation key to keeping the record champions sharp for upcoming games with Union Berlin and Benfica, before unbeaten Freiburg visit the Allianz Arena. Alphonso Davies could be back after a two-game precautionary rest due to a thigh injury, while Leon Goretzka will only play if 100 percent fit after the cold that also saw him miss Bayern’s trip to Lisbon last week and Saturday’s win over Hoffenheim.