Tuesdays Pokal Second Round Preview: Bayern Munich Face Tough Bremen Test

Werder Bremen Funny wallpaper 10 750x500 Tuesdays Pokal Second Round Preview: Bayern Munich Face Tough Bremen Test

Werder Bremen Supporters Will Be Hoping For A Rare Win Over Bayern Munich.

Bundesliga sides will fight for the DFB Pokal this week, and none will be taking it too lightly. Usually, in the earlier rounds of this competition, lots of Bundesliga sides are drawn against largely inferior opposition. Despite that, the games are rarely easy and even throw up a few surprise results. While most of the Bundesligas representatives are taking on teams from lower divisions, Bayern Munich face Werder Bremen in a repeat of last years final. Certainly the match of the round! Lets have a look at Tuesdays matches.

Victoria Hamburg v VfL Wolfsburg

This should be an absolute walk in the park for Wolfsburg, but will at least be a bit of a confidence booster if Wolfsburg really pound their hosts. Victoria Hamburg are a German fifth division side, and the massive gulf in class between the two teams will definitely be on display tomorrow night. Steve McClaren will want to avoid injuries, but other than that he will send his side out with the full expectation of a win. If they fail to deliver one, the pressure on McClaren will really begin to mount. Hes had an up-and-down start to the Bundesliga so far despite a few big signings in the summer, and Wolfsburg fans will be looking for a resounding win here.

FC Koln v 1860 Munich

The Koln board sacked manager Zvonimir Soldo this weekend after his 21 loss to Hannover, and installed ex-under-21 coach Frank Schaefer as caretaker manager. The temporary boss will face his first managerial challenge here, and like most things concering Koln this season, itll probably be a lot harder than it first seemed. 1860 Munich captain Benjamin Lauth has a lot of ! Bundesli ga experience and is also a German international, and hell provide the main threat for Koln. The hosts cant take this game lightly, or theyll surely be punished. 1860 Munich currently occupy 8th place in the 2. Bundesliga, and theyll be looking to achieve promotion this season.

Kaiserslautern v Arminia Bielefeld

Struggling Kaiserslautern will take on promotion candidates Arminia Bielefeld tomorrow night, and theyll need to be wary of complacency against competitive opponents. Bielefeld can boast the experience and reliability of Oliver Neuville, whose experience in front of goal in the Bundesliga is vast. The German international was part of Germanys 2002 World Cup squad, and although he is aging, he still has that eye for goal. Arminia Bielefeld currently occupy 7th place in the 2. Bundesliga, and will be competing for promotion this season.

Energie Cottbus v SC Freiburg

This is another tough fixture that pits a 2. Bundesliga side against a first division team. Energie arent a great side, and Freiburg should be able to handle them, but away from home any team can provide a stern test. Energie are currently 9th in the second division, but at home with the full support of their fans, they will still be formidable opponents for Freiburg.

FSV Frankfurt v Schalke 04

Im going to keep this one simple. If Schalke lose, Magath has to go. FSV Frankfurt are struggling in the second division, and should provide little threat to Schalke. But, knowing what we know about Schalke this season, an upset is probably in the works here. I cant see Magath lasting passed tomorrow night if die Konigsblauen lose. Itd be a major shock, and an even bigger embarrassment. Itd have to be the final nail in the coffin. The pressure is on!

Bayern Munich v Werder Bremen

And now for the big one. Bayern Munich will be boosted by the return of Diego Contento, and the strong form of Anatoliy Tymoschuk, who has reinvented himse! lf in th e center of defense. Werder Bremen have only won one of their last six meetings against Die Roten, and I cant see Louis van Gaals side losing this one. Werder Bremen were very impressive offensively on the weekend, but their defensive woes continue and Bayern Munich will likely take advantage of them. Werder Bremens only bright spot at the back has been second-choice goalkeeper Sebastian Mielitz, who has stepped into the limelight after a knee injury to Tim Wiese.



International Soccer Clubs & Leagues News | Video | Commentary

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mr. Hodgson Or: How We Learned To Stop Worrying And Blame The Manager

Image
The manager has risen from club secretary to official face of the club since the creation of football teams worldwide. He has moved from the man that kept the record books to man that is larger than the football team he manages. Commentators and pundits refer to Fergusons United or Wengers beautiful, passing football. He even has books written about him. The Manager by Barney Ronay, an excellent book that discusses the rise of the manager into the modern game, unearths some of the origins of the managers image and attempts todiscuss what kind of person the manager really is. While the book wasnt ever intended to be an academic study of the merits of various tactical thoughts of managers, it does address some of the often listed character traits ofsuccessfulmanagers. When all these traits are put together, to many the manager appears to be a father figure, a scary headmaster, a politician youd like to have a beer with, or somecombination. Yet despite all this popularity, he is little mo...
Keep reading

England World Cup camps need to lose doomsday siege mentality

Image
One day last week, near the junction of Maude Street and Rivonia Road, in the Johannesburg suburb of Sandton, a line of smiling young men in shirts and shorts strolled along the pavement towards their hotel. Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben, Robin Van Persie, Dirk Kuyt, Mark Van Bommel and the rest of the Dutch squad waited at the lights until there was a break in the traffic and then ambled across the road. These were some of the best known players in the world, superstars of the game, walking along city streets on their way back from training and looking as though they did not have a care. There was no security with them. None to speak of, anyway. There were no photographers running in front of them and taking their picture. There were no girlfriends tottering along beside them. None of them wore headphones. They did not insulate themselves. They seemed at one with their surroundings. It was only a snapshot of the way the Dutch are living their lives at this World Cup but ...
Keep reading

How an American Influence Is Rubbing Off On Manchester City

Image
Manchester Citys match day experience is becoming more and more American with each new season. While Maine Road was what you could expect a typical British experience of what it was like to see an English football match in the 80s, the City of Manchester Stadium experience seems as American as apple pie. In previous seasons, City have tried to focus on improving the match-day experience. Theyve added buskers, i.e. public performers, around the ground to add to the atmosphere. And recently theyve adopted American entertainment methods such as turning down the house lights before kick-off and trying to get everyone excited for the big match. Theyve also been a pioneer in English football in their usage of American social media sites such as Facebook, Foursquare, Flickr and others to create a bond with supporters. And now for their first home match in the league for the 2010-11 season, against Liverpool tonight, theyre set to unveil two new features. Both of them have a uniquely American...
Keep reading