Borussia Mönchengladbach vs. Bayern Munich: DFB Cup probable line-ups, match stats and LIVE blog!

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Gladbach and Bayern lifted the curtain on the Bundesliga season with a 1-1 draw at Borussia Park, with Alassane Plea putting the Foals in front and Lewandowski levelling for the record champions. While the Bayern forward has gone on to score a further nine goals, that remains the Frenchman's one and only goal of the current campaign, though he could be in line for a return to the starting XI after replacing Lars Stindl at half-time of Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Hertha Berlin and looking like the Foals' most likely goalscorer. Coach Adi Hütter will need his sharpest shooters against a side who have conceded only eight goals all season and beat Hoffenheim 4-0 at the weekend to cement their place at the top of the Bundesliga, with double Gladbach's 11 points. At the other end of the field, the stability provided by Matthias Ginter was sorely missed at the weekend and Hütter will hope to have the German defender back after he missed the trip to the capital with a cold.

Bayern will again be without their coach Julian Nagelsmann due to illness, but he will have briefed his assistants Dino Toppmöller and Xaver Zembrod of his plans for beating Gladbach and moving a step closer to a 21st DFB Cup title. That could include starts for Kingsley Coman and Leroy Sane, with rotation key to keeping the record champions sharp for upcoming games with Union Berlin and Benfica, before unbeaten Freiburg visit the Allianz Arena. Alphonso Davies could be back after a two-game precautionary rest due to a thigh injury, while Leon Goretzka will only play if 100 per cent fit after the cold that also saw him miss Bayern's trip to Lisbon last week and Saturday's win over Hoffenheim. Rotation could also see a potential start for Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, who scored his third goal of the season - as many as Gladbch's joint top-scorer's Stindl and Jonas Hofmann - from the bench at the weekend.

Match stats

Scally made his competitive Gladbach debut in the DFB Cup first round. He has started every game since.

Like Stindl, Hofmann has three goals in all competitions in 2021/22. The Germany international scored two and made another as the Foals beat Bayern 3-2 at home in last season's Bundesliga.

Three-time winners Gladbach have been knocked out by Bundesliga opposition in the last six editions of the DFB Cup.

Lewandowski is on 17 goals in 13 competitive games in 2021/22, but has scored just twice in 19 career meetings with Gladbach.

Sane is Bayern's next best for total goal involvement so far this term with six of his own and eight assists.

Bayern are record 20-time DFB Cup winners, but were eliminated in the second round last season following a penalty shoot-out defeat to Bundesliga 2's Holstein Kiel. They won a shoot-out of their own in the 1983/84 final against Gladbach.

Probable line-ups:

Gladbach: Sommer - Beyer, Elvedi, Bensebaini - Scally, Zakaria, Kone, Netz - Hofmann, Stindl (c) - Plea

Out: Doucoure (Achilles), Kramer (thigh), Lainer (ankle), Thuram (knee)

Doubtful: Ginter (cold)

Coach: Adi Hütter

Bayern: Neuer (c) - Pavard, Upamecano, Süle, Hernandez - Sabitzer, Kimmich - Sane, Müller, Coman - Lewandowski

Out: Ulreich (knee)

Doubtful: Davies (thigh), Goretzka (cold)

Coach: Julian Nagelsmann

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