Bayern Munich vs Freiburg
A place in the DFB-Pokal semi-finals is up for grabs as Bayern Munich and Freiburg lock horns in a tasty-looking quarter-finals tie.
Bayern Munich’s life under new boss Thomas Tuchel was off to a flying start as they thrashed fierce Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund 4-2 on the German’s touchline debut at the weekend. That result marked Bayern’s fifth victory in their last six matches (L1), four of which came by multi-goal margins, laying the foundation for another routine triumph. After a brace of 1-1 league draws at the turn of the year, the ‘Bavarians’ have won their last five competitive games at the Allianz Arena by an aggregate score of 17-5, with each win yielding at least a two-goal margin. There’s a feeling that might stay on this trajectory after beating Freiburg in four consecutive H2Hs on home turf, including an overwhelming 5-0 triumph in the Bundesliga earlier this season.
Meanwhile, visiting Freiburg come into proceedings in the midst of a rough patch, having failed to win any of their last three competitive matches (D2, L1), all of which featured under 2.5 total goals. Although the visitors have managed just two wins on their seven travels in all competitions this calendar year (D2, L3), one of those victories was a 2-0 demolition of Sandhausen in the DFB-Pokal. Yet, Christian Streich’s men have drawn a blank in two of their last three away outings, casting doubt on their bid to upset the odds in Munich. On a more positive note, ‘Breisgau-Brasilianer’ have been defensively robust on the road, conceding under 1.5 goals in each of their last five trips. That defensive resilience will be crucial after they’ve shipped 2+ goals on their four most recent visits to Bayern.