RB Leipzig vs Bayern Munich Preview: Where to Watch, Live Stream, Kick Off Time & Team News
RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich square off in the DFB Pokal final on Saturday at the Olympiastadion Berlin looking to end their seasons on a high.
Bayern are looking for their 19th Cup trophy while Leipzig are final debutants and looking for the first piece of major silverware in their history. Bayern's last win in the competition came back in 2016 when the Bavarians defeated Borussia Dortmund on penalties, and they will be looking to add to the Bundesliga title they secured on the final day of the season.
This final will feature two clubs with very different histories in German football and will likely be a very exciting match to watch for the neutral football fan.
Check out 90min's preview of the game below.
Where to Watch
When Is Kickoff? | Saturday 25 May |
What Time Is Kickoff? | 19:00 BST |
Where Is it Played? | Olympiastadion Berlin |
German Football Youtube Channel |
Team News
RB Leipzig manager Ralf Rangnick rested most of his first-team squad in the last Bundesliga match of the season so he will be expect to have a strong pool of players to choose from in the final. American midfielder Tyler Adams returned from an adductor injury in Leipzig's loss against Werder Bremen and will be expected to feature in this match.
Simon Hofmann/GettyImages
Many people around the world believe this could be the final match German striker Timo Werner plays for the club, with the 23-year-old being linked with many of the biggest clubs around Europe.
Bayern are still unsure on the fitness on first-choice goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and James Rodriguez, though both returned to full training on Wednesday. Javi Martinez is doubtful for the match after suffering a shin injury in training.
Predicted Lineups
RB Leipzig | Gulacsi; Klostermann, Orban, Upamecano, Halstenberg; Sabitzer, Demme, Adams, Forsberg; Poulsen, Werner |
Bayern Munich | Neuer; Kimmich, Sule, Hummels, Alaba, Goretzka, Thiago, Gnabry, Muller, Coman; Lewandowski |
Head to Head Record
JOHN MACDOUGALL/GettyImages
With Leipzig's rapid climb up the ranks of German football in recent years, the two sides have only faced off seven times in their histories. The Bavarians hold the overall record between the teams, winning four matches and drawing two, one of which they advanced via a penalty shootout in the 2017 German Cup.
Leipzig's lone win against Bayern came last season when they won 2-1 courtesy of goals from Naby Keita and Werner.
This year in the Bundesliga, Bayern took the first match of the campaign 1-0 and the sides played out a goalless draw in the reverse fixture at Red Bull Arena.
Recent Form
Leipzig endured an indifferent end to their season after securing Champions League football with a few weeks to spare in the campaign. In their last five matches, Die Roten Bullen won two, drew two and lost one.
Bayern, on the other hand, were in the midst of an intense race to seal a seventh successive Bundesliga crown and couldn't afford to drop many points. The Bavarians did what they needed to do by picking up 11 points from a possible 15, beating Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1 on the final day to secure the title.
Here's how each side have fared in their previous five matches in all competitions.
RB Leipzig | Bayern Munich |
Werder 2-1 RB Leipzig (18/05) | Bayern 5-1 Eintracht Frankfurt (18/05) |
RB Leipzig 0-0 Bayern (11/05) | RB Leipzig 0-0 Bayern (11/05) |
Mainz 3-3 RB Leipzig (03/05) | Bayern 3-1 Hannover 96 (04/05) |
RB Leipzig 2-1 SC Freiburg (27/04) | Nurnberg 1-1 Bayern (28/04) |
Hamburger SV 1-3 RB Leipzig (23/04) | Werder 2-3 Bayern (24/04) |
Prediction
After a difficult start to the season, Niko Kovac's Bayern upped the ante and will be overwhelming favourites to secure yet another a domestic double, despite having a few injury concerns.
Sebastian Widmann/GettyImages
Leipzig, meanwhile, will be desperate to secure their first major trophy after spending big to get to where they are today. With the departure of Werner almost certain, Die Roten Bullen will be keen on securing the German 23-year-old a trophy before he departs.
This should be a closely contested game, but Bayern's experience and quality should get them over the line once more - securing a historic 19th DFB Pokal success in the process.
Prediction: RB Leipzig 1-3 Bayern Munich
