DFB-Pokal Final: Bayern Munich Favored at -325 Odds Over RB Leipzig To Lift Trophy

The German domestic soccer season concludes when Bayern Munich meet RB Leipzig in the DFB-Pokal Final in Berlin’s Olympiastadion on Saturday, May 25, 2019 at 2:00 pm EST.

Having sealed the Bundesliga title at the weekend with a 5-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayern will be looking to wrap up the double and confirm their position as the undisputed Kings of German football.

RB Leipzig vs Bayern Munich German Cup Final – Odds

*Odds taken on May 21, 2019

Bayern will naturally start as favorites at -325 and are offering little value, so we’ll look at if there is any to be found elsewhere.

Leipzig in Search of a First Trophy

As a club, RB Leipzig is only ten years old and so Sunday’s game in Berlin is the club’s first chance of a major honor in their history. En route to Berlin, they beat three Bundesliga clubs in Hoffenheim, Augsburg and Wolfsburg, and along the way have conceded just three goals in the competition – something that stands them in good stead ahead of the final.

It isn’t just in the DFB-Pokal that Leipzig boasts a brilliant defensive record though, with their goals conceded in the Bundesliga also the fewest in the league. In their 34 games, they conceded a miserly 29 goals, which was, in fact, three fewer than Bayern.

38 goals and 19 assists between them this season 🔥

Our electric duo ⚡

🔴⚪ #DieRotenBullen pic.twitter.com/XNET1LIg1T

— RB Leipzig English (@RBLeipzig_EN) May 21, 2019

And they will go into Sunday’s game fresh after manager Ralf Rangnick rested most of his first XI for the final league game of the season – a defeat at Werder Bremen.

It will be Rangnick’s third appearance as a manager in the DFB Cup final, with his most recent victory coming in 2011 when he was in charge of Schalke 04.

Big Name Injuries for Bayern

Bayern manager, Niko Kovač, didn’t have the opportunity to rest players at the weekend – with the Bundesliga up for grabs – and was already without captain and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who has missed the last six games with a calf injury.

There remains a doubt over his availability for Sunday and question marks also remain over the fitness of both James Rodriguez and Javi Martinez.

An interesting conundrum for Kovač will be how much he involves club legends Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery on Sunday, both of who appear to be nearing the end of their Bayern careers.

Both players came off the bench to score against Frankfurt at the weekend and both will be desperate for one final afternoon of glory in the Bayern shirt.

https://twitter.com/FootballForum15/status/1129786755996160001

In contrast to Leipzig, who are still searching for their first trophy, the Bavarians, who are playing in the final for the 23rd and have won it a record-breaking 18 times. So there is no question over which team is best equipped to handle the occasion.

Lewandowski Leading the Way

Bayern also have German football’s top scorer, Robert Lewandowski leading their line, with the Pole already having scored five DFB Cup goals this season, just one behind Hamburg’s Pierre-Michael Lasogga.

If he is able to get a goal, or even two, on Saturday, he will become the first player in history to finish as the competition’s top scorer in three consecutive seasons.

Timo Werner has already scored three times in the cup this season and has also scored five times in three Bundesliga matches in the Olympiastadion.

Leipzig are not without a goal threat of their own though. In Timo Werner, they have a player who has already scored three times in the cup this season and has also scored five times in three Bundesliga matches in the Olympiastadion.

RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner will snub the opportunity to join Liverpool this summer, instead preferring to stay in the Bundesliga, where he will join Bayern Munich for a fee in the region of £60m. [Suddeutsche Zeitung] pic.twitter.com/mqLPAmx0nj

— Anfield Edition (@AnfieldEdition) May 13, 2019

Leipzig to Spoil the Party

So, while everything points to a Bayern win – especially with some club legends saying their farewells – we have a hunch that Leipzig is primed and ready to play the role of party pooper.

The fact Rangnick was able to rest players at the weekend is also a major plus factor, and we believe their strong defense will be able to resist the Bayern onslaught that will inevitably come, and it may just take a Werner goal to seal the deal.

Our pick: RB Leipzig +250