Coach Julian Nagelsmann will rotate on a larger scale for the first time this season in FC Bayern Munich’s first round match in the DFB Cup against third division soccer team Viktoria Köln.
In the game, which will be played on Wednesday evening (8:46 p.m. / ARD and Sky) in front of 50,000 spectators in the Rhein-Energie Stadium of Bundesliga club 1. FC Cologne, Sturm youngster Mathys Tel will “normally start”, as Nagelsmann said the day before game announced.
The same applies to the other newcomers Ryan Gravenberch and Noussair Mazraoui, who are also about to make their debut in the starting XI. Josip Stanisic should also start in defense. Nagelsmann announced up to five changes compared to the 1-1 draw against Borussia Mönchengladbach.
“It will certainly also affect one or the other established player who will not be in the squad,” said the 35-year-old. National player Leon Goretzka should also celebrate a short comeback after his knee operation. Nagelsmann would “like to give the midfielder a rhythm” if the game went well, i.e. a few minutes.
The declared goal of the record cup winner is not only to make it into round two, but to march through to winning the title in Berlin. “I can’t really say we want to finish second,” Nagelsmann announced the cup ambitions this season. In his first year as Bayern coach, the Munich side were eliminated in round two by Borussia Mönchengladbach (0:5).
Due to three away games within a week, Bayern are only traveling to Cologne on the day of the game. Nagelsmann also announced that he would take the entire squad with him. Because before the top Bundesliga game on Saturday at second-placed 1. FC Union Berlin, the team will train in Cologne on Thursday before heading home to Munich.
