Bayer Leverkusen vs. Bayern Munich DFB-Pokal preview: Team news and predicted lineups

Bayer Leverkusen:

Bayer Leverkusen will be hoping to upset the apple cart tomorrow evening as they take on newly crowned Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich in the DFB-Pokal semi final. Kick-off at the BayArena is set for 20:45 CET.

Having seen off SG Großaspach (4-0), SC Paderborn (4-2), Borussia Dortmund (1-0) and FC St. Pauli (3-0) to get here, Kasper Hjulmand has the chance to pick up some valuable silverware for the Rhinelanders.

Not only could the under-pressure Dane lift some weight of expectation off his shoulders, but also deliver Leverkusen only their third ever German cup title. Going up against Bayern, however, means doing it the hard way.

This will be the sixth time these two clubs have met in the Pokal, with Bayern edging the head-to-head stats by three wins to two. It goes without saying that Levekusen will be hoping to draw from that 1-0 win in April 2024.

Team news:

Hjulmand will be relieved at the fact that Leverkusen come into this game with a good bill of health. Only Martin Terrier (hamstring) and Arthur (ligament tear) are considered doubts for this all-important cup fixture.

Predicted lineup: Flekken – Quansah, Andrich, Tapsoba – Poku, Palacios, Garcia, Grimaldo – Maza, Tella – Schick

Bayern Munich:

By contrast, Bayern Munich roll into town on the back of a weekend where they clinched their 35th Bundesliga title. By all accounts, Vincent Kompany's side don't plan on resting on their laurels for this Pokal last-four clash.

Cries of 'Berlin, Berlin, we're going to Berlin' echoed out at the Allianz Arena after their 4-2 win over Stuttgart on Sunday. Something which Harry Kane confessed was "motivation" for a trophy which was labelled "a priority" to reclaim.

The Bavarians sealed their semi-final berth after victories over Wehen Wiesbaden (3-2), 1.FC Köln (4-1), 1.FC Union Berlin (3-2) and RB Leipzig (2-0) to get here. Interestingly, only a the latter fixture offered them home advantage.

Going in as red-hot favourites will be the main source of pressure for Bayern. With a packed schedule, including two games with PSG on the horizon, coping with that expectation while battling on all fronts becomes paramount.

Team news:

Sven Ulreich, Lennart Karl and Tom Bischof (all torn muscle injuries) remain out for the time being, while Serge Gnabry (adductor) will also be absent after suffering an untimely blow that could jeopardize his World Cup hopes.

Predicted lineup: Neuer – Laimer, Upamecano, Tah, Stanišić – Kimmich, Pavlović – Olise, Musiala, Díaz – Kane