Bundesliga champions-elect Bayern Munich will look to take another giant stride towards a second successive double when they host Eintracht Frankfurt in the semi-finals of the DFB-Pokal on Wednesday.
Hansi Flick's side have reached the final six times in the last eight seasons and lifted the trophy for a record-extending 19th time last season, but they were beaten by Frankfurt in the showpiece event of this competition two years ago.
Match preview
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Looking at the two league meetings between these sides this season may not offer many clues about what to expect on Wednesday night apart from one thing: goals.
Frankfurt humiliated the perennial German champions on home turf with a 5-1 triumph in early November, a result which saw Bayern slump down to fourth place - four points off the top of the table - and also spelled the end of Niko Kovac's time in charge.
Hansi Flick is now the man in charge at the Allianz Arena and since that defeat he has steered Bayern to 23 wins from 26 games, drawing once and losing twice.
That run includes an ongoing streak of 11 successive wins - one of which was an avenging 5-2 drubbing of Frankfurt - and a 20-game unbeaten run across all competitions which now stretches back more than six months to December 7.
Bayern now sit seven points clear at the top of the table and are only two wins away from securing an eighth straight title, having picked up exactly where they left off after the coronavirus lockdown with five wins from five so far.
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Four times in their run of seven straight titles they have accompanied league success with cup glory, and they are favourites to make that five with Frankfurt and then either Bayer Leverkusen or fourth-tier Saarbrucken all that separate them from a 20th DFB-Pokal crown.
Not for more than two years have Bayern failed to win a match in this competition, although Frankfurt will take confidence from the fact that they were the last team to inflict defeat in the 2018 final.
That was their fifth DFB-Pokal success so they do have a good record in the competition, but they will be firm underdogs heading into Wednesday's contest.
Adi Hutter's side sit 11th in the Bundesliga, both safe from relegation and with little hope of pushing for Europe, so the cup is now their last remaining chance to take part in continental competition next season.
A 2-0 home defeat at the hands of Mainz on Saturday was not the best warm-up, but they had won their previous two matches before that, both of which came away from home.
Frankfurt will be hoping that the current trend of away teams faring better in the empty stadiums continues in the cup too, having gone five away games in a row without victory before their back-to-back wins.
Bayern Munich DFB-Pokal form: WWWW
Bayern Munich form (all competitions): WWWWWW
Frankfurt DFB-Pokal form: WWWW
Frankfurt form (all competitions): LLDWWL
Team News
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The rest of the Bundesliga's gain could be Frankfurt's pain on Wednesday night, with Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller both likely to feature in this match due to being suspended for the next league game.
Lewandowski brought up goal number 44 from just 38 outings in 2019-20 at the weekend, including 30 in 28 Bundesliga games, while Muller took his assist tally up to 20 - now just one short of Kevin De Bruyne's single-season Bundesliga record.
Corentin Tolisso is the only player missing through injury for the German champions, who could name something close to a full-strength lineup.
Frankfurt have a few more injury worries, with Gelson Fernandes and Goncalo Paciencia both absent.
Perhaps more costly for the visitors will be the absence of Filip Kostic, who remains suspended for this match after being sent off in the quarter-final win over Werder Bremen.
Bayern Munich possible starting lineup:
Neuer; Pavard, Boateng, Alaba, Davies; Kimmich, Goretzka; Coman, Muller, Gnabry; Lewandowski
Frankfurt possible starting lineup:
Trapp; Toure, Hinteregger, Abraham, N'Dicka; Ilsanker, Sow; Chandler, Kamada, Gacinovic; Silva
We say: Bayern Munich 4-1 Frankfurt
It is impossible to back against Bayern Munich right now, particularly at home where they have won nine and lost none of their last 10 outings.
Flick's side are scoring for fun and hit five past Frankfurt less than three weeks ago, so we are backing another comfortable win for the hosts here.
