Bayern Munich to secure German double
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Bayern Munich take on Eintracht Frankfurt in the DFB Pokal final on Saturday night. The two clubs will meet in Berlin in what will be the last match for each manager involved. Bayern's Jupp Heynckes is set to stepdown after the fixture with Frankfurt's Niko Kovac taking his place at the Allianz Arena.
Bayern were the runaway winners in the Bundesliga during the season. The Bavarians won the competition by 21 points. Frankfurt finished a full 39 points behind their cup final opponents all the way down in eighth place. Kovac's side had been one of the league's surprise packages for much of the season, however.
The Eagles flirted with the Champions League as recently as March 17. However, the team's defence suddenly couldn't keep goals out and the attack wasn't able to consistently score them. Frankfurt lost five of their last seven matches and found just one win in that timespan. One of those loss came at the hands of Bayern, who dismantled Frankfurt 4-1 at the Allianz Arena.
Bayern will play in their fifth German Cup final in seven years. The club has continued its juggernaut ways in defeating the rest of the competition and Saturday's final will give them the chance to complete a domestic double. Bayern will be without their top defender. Jerome Boateng is set to miss through injury. He won't get the chance to play against his brother, Kevin-Prince Boateng, who plays in Frankfurt's midfield.
Both Arjen Robben and David Alaba are expected to be fit for Heynckes. There is a chance Bayern could select Manuel Neuer. If so, it will be the goalkeeper's first taste of action this term. He has been out with an injury, but is set to play at the World Cup. Heynckes could start Neuer as this will be his last chance at a competitive match until the tournament in Russia.
Frankfurt will play in their second straight German Cup final. The Eagles lost 2-1 to Borussia Dortmund a year ago, but this term, Frankfurt will be taking on a much more difficult task when playing Bayern. Kovac's side's poor play down the stretch can be attributed to the team's cup performance. The interest in the league seemed to wane each week as Frankfurt progressed toward the final.
Kovac's squad defeated Schalke in the semifinals. Schalke finished second in the Bundesliga, so Frankfurt are no pushovers. However, Bayern have been nearly unbeatable with Heynckes at the helm. Bayern won both meetings in the Bundesliga this term, and the Bavarians will win once more on Saturday in the cup final.
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