Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund Preview

Robert Lewandowski greeting his former teammate, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Robert Lewandowski will look to outscore his former teammate, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

German DFB-Pokal Final | Olympiastadion Berlin | Saturday 21 May | 20:00

Bayern Munich will lock horns with Borussia Dortmund in the 2016 DFB-Pokal final. It will be the third time in the last five years that the final itself will be played between the two German giants.

Bayern have lifted the trophy twice against their Der Klassiker rivals, including the most recent in 2014 when Bayern won the match in extra time. The Bavarians will be looking to win their 18th DFB-Pokal, while Dortmund will be aiming for their fourth.

To Win (90mins)

Bayern Munich 1/1

Draw 5/2

Borussia Dortmund 5/2


Bayern Munich

It has been another stellar season for the Bavarians, and they will look to cap it off with a victory here. After sealing their fourth consecutive Bundesliga title a forght night ago, Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering Bayern Munich continued the celebrations in their home city after a 3-1 win against Hannover. Now, the Bavarians will look end  Guardiola’s reign as manager by claiming the domestic double. The DFB-Pokal final will be the Spaniards final game in charge before Carlo Ancelotti takes over.  So a victory here would be a perfect way to say goodbye.

Bayern Munich duo, Thomas Muller and Robert Lewandowski

Bayern Munich booked their spot in the final of the 2016 DFB-Pokal with a routine 2-0 home win against Werder Bremen. Guardiola’s men started the competition with a 3-1 away win against FC Nottingen who ply their trade in the Regionalliga Sudwest  – the fourth tier of German football. They then travelled to Wolfsburg, whom they dispatched 3-1, before earning a hard-fought 1-0 home win against Darmstadt in the round of 16. Bayern followed that up with a 3-0 thrashing of German 2.Bundesliga side Bochum, prior to their victory over Werder Bremen in the semi-finals. Bayern’s record in German Cup finals is further evidence of their remarkable dominance. Seventeen times the club have won the competition (a clear record), and have failed to lift the trophy only three times when in the final.

Thomas Muller is the club’s top scorer in the competition with four goals, whilst Robert Lewandowski has three to his name. The pair also have an impressive 50 goals between them in the league, with Muller bagging 20 goals and Lewandowski finishing as the top scorer with 30. In the middle of the park, Arturo Vidal and Thiago Alcantara will pull the strings and break up play, with Xabi Alonso a doubt for the final. And the attacking threat of either Franck Ribery, Kingsley Coman, Douglas Costa, or Mario Gotze make up one of the most deadly attacking teams in Europe.



Borussia Dortmund

After a dramatic defeat to Liverpool in the Europa League, Thomas Tuchel will be keen to deliver a trophy in what has already been a remarkable first season in charge. The Borussen are arguably the only team that actually give Bayern a challenge in the league, and now they will look to spoil Pep’s going away party.

Dortmund’s road to the final began with a 2-0 victory at German 3. Liga side Chemnitzer. They followed that win up with a 7-1 thumping of divison two side Paderborn in the round of 32, before beating Augsburg 2-0 in front of their own fans in the last 16. The quarter-finals saw Dortmund claim a 3-1 victory away to Stuttgart, before battering Hertha Berlin 3-0 in the semi-finals. Having lost the last two DFB-Pokal finals to Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg respectively, Dortmund will hope it will be a case of third time lucky when they return to the capital on Saturday evening.

The tournament's top scorer this season, Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

In Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Dortmund have the leading goalscorer in the competition with five goals. Mkhitaryan is absolutely brilliant with the ball at his feet. His vision and eye for goal make him a key component to this talented Dortmund team. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will be the man to lead the line. The Gabon international has found the net three times in this competition and has scored another 25 goals in the league – only Lewandowski has scored more. Another player that keeps the team ticking is Marco Reus. The 26-year old’s creativity and flair gives Dortmund a cutting edge, while his quick feet, energy and skill make him difficult to mark.

Probable line-ups:



Bayern Munich 4-2-3-1

Neuer; Lahm, Benatia, Boateng, Alaba; Vidal, Thiago; Ribery, Costa, Muller; Lewandowski 



Borussia Dortmund 4-2-3-1

Burki; Piszczek, Bender, Hummels, Schmelzer; Weigl, Castro; Reus, Kagawa, Mkhitaryan; Aubameyang

Betting Verdict: Bayern Munich (1/1)

In the Bundesliga this season, Bayern Munich gave Dortmund a lesson in Munich on matchday eight as they thumped Tuchel’s side 5-1. In the reverse fixture, Dortmund held Bayern to a goalless draw in a game they needed to win to open up the title race. This one will go down to the wire, but the Bayern players know how important this game will be for their manager. The Bavarians are tipped to claim the domestic double with a win in 90 minutes.

Written by Aaron Crowie.