Aachen may be in mid-table in the 2. Bundesliga, but the Rhine club has still managed to turn heads in the DFB Pokal. In October, they knocked out Mainz, who at the time were leaders in the first division. A month ago, Aachen fought to a gritty 1-1 stalemate with Frankfurt before edging die Adler in a penalty shoot-out. They now enter the quarter-finals, but have a difficult test ahead if they are to advance.
Aachen’s performance in the Pokal this year is not without precedent, and of this Bayern are well aware. Just over four years ago, in late 2006, the Kartoffelkaefer knocked their upcoming opponents out of the Pokal with a 4-2 win.
In that match, now-retired winger Laurentiu Reghecampf netted a brace before Marius Ebbers made it 3-0. The Bavarians mounted a comeback, but future Bayern man Jan Schlaudraff put the game away at the death. Now a very different side will play in a match that may offer the biggest stage some Aachen players will ever see.
“I will assume that Aachen will be Bayern’s Waterloo,” sporting director Erik Meijer told DFB.de.
Those may be rather bullish words, but the Dutchman does indeed know a thing or two about Bayern. in 2004, he headed in the winning goal for Aachen in a 2-1 victory against Bayern.
Van Gaal Anticipates 'Big Challenge'
Bundesliga fans got a glimpse of what Bayern are capable of on Saturday as the Rekordmeister hammered Kaiserslautern by a 5-1 margin. Mario Gomez netted a hat-trick, but the real catalyst on the day was Arjen Robben, who did not in the slightest way look as though he was just coming back from a six months injury lay-off. The message from Louis van Gaal’s men as they moved third in the Bundesliga was clear: Bayern are back.
Now Van Gaal will have to decide how to handle Wednesday’s Pokal match against 2nd division side Aachen. With the majority of a long and gruelling spring campaign still yet to be played, he may opt to rest some of his stars, especially Robben, who was withdrawn after 74 minutes in the Kaiserslautern match.
At the same time, the Dutch coach will be keen to build the momentum and confidence his side lacked throughout a rather disappointing fall campaign.
Bayern will have a somewhat different look about them on Wednesday following the departure of Mark van Bommel for Milan. Van Gaal will have to be careful to find the right formula for his team, and has been careful not to underestimate the task that awaits in Aachen.
“It’s yet another big challenge,” he told reporters before adding, “We have to win it.”
TEAM NEWS
Alemannia Aachen
Following last weekend’s 4-2 win against Karlsruhe, Peter Hyballa is expected to name a similar line-up including talented youngsters Tolgay Arslan and Shervin Radjabali-Fardi. The coach may opt to change his system from 4-3-1-2 to 4-4-2 or 4-5-1 in order to provide more width in defence.
Probable Starting XI: Hohs – Demai, Stehle, Feisthammel, Achenbach – Hoeger, Junglas, Radjabali-Fardi – Arslan – Auer, Stieber
Bayern Munich
Arjen Robben is expected to recover from an illness ahead of Wednesday’s match, and is a bit luckier than Daniel van Buyten, who has been left out due to a similar cold. Also staying in Munich are Diego Contento (back), Toni Kroos (foot), and Franck Ribery (knee), as well as long-term casualty Ivica Olic. In the absence of Van Bommel, Van Gaal will have to change his starting eleven once again. Anatoliy Tymoshchuk is tipped to start in place of the former captain.
Probable Starting XI: Kraft – Lahm, Breno, Badstuber, Pranjic – Tymoshchuk, Luiz Gustavo – Robben, Schweinsteiger, Mueller – Gomez
Prediction
History says Aachen should be given a considerable chance to win this, but if Bayern play a full-strength squad, it is hard to imagine the visitors being knocked out. Robben and Mueller have enough strength to ensure that they cannot simply be fouled out of the game; their form on the day will be important, but the Bayern wingers should decide the match.
Aachen 1-3 Bayern Munich 
