Bayern Munich play Magdeburg tonight in the second round of the German Cup, the DFB-Pokal. Kick-off at the Allianz Arena is at 20:45 our time.
On paper this is an easy night for Bayern. Magdeburg play one level lower, in the 2. Bundesliga, and Bundesliga.com calls Bayern the clear favourites. But there is some history here.
The night Magdeburg knocked Bayern out
The two clubs have met only once before in this cup. That was in 2000, and Magdeburg won on penalties.
A cup tie is one game with no second leg. If Magdeburg keep it tight for a long time, the pressure moves onto Bayern.
Bayern are flying in the league
Bayern are top of the Bundesliga and have not lost a league game yet. After seven games they have five wins and two draws, so 17 points.
Borussia Dortmund also have 17 points, and the two meet in Munich on Saturday. So Bayern have a cup game tonight and a top-of-the-table game three days later.
Our take
Bayern should win this. They are at home, they are unbeaten in the league, and they play a team from the second tier. Still, the 2000 game shows what can happen in a cup. If Magdeburg score first, the night gets very interesting.
Can Magdeburg shock Bayern again, or will Bayern win easily? Tell us in the comments.
Sources: ESPN (DFB-Pokal schedule and Bundesliga table), Bundesliga.com (match page), Sky Sports (Bundesliga table), FC Bayern fixture list.
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Allianz Arena in red by Lee Min-joon (CC0), Allianz Arena at night by Richard Bartz (CC BY-SA 2.5), Magdeburg’s stadium (then called MDCC-Arena) by Greifen (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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