FC Bayern Munich vs. 1. FC Magdeburg DFB-Pokal preview: Team news and predicted lineups

FC Bayern will face an in-form Magdeburg side in their first game after Harry Kane's Ballon d’Or triumph.

Daniela Porcelli/Getty Images

Magdeburg will hope to produce a huge upset on Wednesday night as they face the reigning DFB-Pokal champions in second round action.

FC Bayern 

In a special night for both German and English football, Harry Kane won the Ballon d’Or for his performances in the 2025/26 season on Monday night. After a difficult week for the Rekordmeister – Joshua Kimmich losing a close family member and Vincent Kompany’s collapse on the training pitch – the long wait is finally over for the club as the England captain is the first winner of the prestigious award from FC Bayern in 45 years.

The 33-year-old striker will be in action right away as Aaron Danks, who will once again lead the side in the absence of Kompany, confirmed his availability. Bayern maintained their lead at the Bundesliga summit with a 3-1 win in Freiburg with a depleted squad in the closing fixture of matchday 7.

Magdeburg

Petrik Sander's men recorded the club's biggest 2. Bundesliga win on Saturday with a 6-1 victory over Karlsruhe. FCM started the campaign with a defeat by the same scoreline against Eintracht Braunschweig, but they have now won four successive home games.

The 1974 Cup Winners’ Cup winners came close to achieving a first-ever promotion to Bundesliga under Christian Titz in the 2024/25 season. After Elversberg’s recent success, there is a possibility to witness the next Bundesliga debutants in near future.

Head-to-head

This will be the first meeting between the sides since the penalty shootout victory by Magdeburg in the same stage during the 2000/01 season. That defeat to the Oberliga side remains one of the surprising results in the history of the cup because Bayern won the Champions League at the end of the campaign.

Team News

Kimmich, Jamal Musiala and Manuel Neuer are all unavailable for the cup holders. Luis Diaz will also spend some time on the sidelines after suffering a muscle injury in last week's 2-2 draw with Arsenal.

Moritz-Broni Kwarteng and Lubambo Musonda will be the only players not making Magdeburg's traveling squad due to injuries.

Predicted Lineups

Bayern: Urbig; Stanisic, Tah, Ito, Brown; Laimer, Bischof; Karl, Olise, Saibari; Kane ©

Magdeburg: Reimann ©; Nadjombe, Müller, Garcia MacNulty, Nollenberger; Hyryläinen, Chavez, Michel; Iyoha, Zukowski, Atik