RB Leipzig (11/4) will face Bayern Munich (7/25) in the 2018/19 DFB-Pokal final at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin on Saturday night. On paper, Bayern are deserving favourites but cup finals can be deceiving – it would be foolish to write Leipzig off ahead of this one.
Let’s start with Bayern. The powerhouses of German football for the last 20 years, Bayern have been there and done it on the biggest stage of all. With seven successive Bundesliga titles, there is no doubting that Bayern are still the strongest team in Germany.
With that in mind, punters may be tempted by the 11/20 for Bayern to win in 90 minutes. Bayern have lost just one of their last four matches against Leipzig and the Bavarians will be quietly confident ahead of Saturday’s clash in Berlin.
Furthermore, Leipzig have scored in just one of the previous four meetings between the two sides. Bayern snatched a narrow one-nil win over their opponents back in December before a goalless draw in March. 41/20 for Bayern to win to nil looks a solid bet here.
The Bavarians have lost just one domestic contest since a 3-1 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in February and momentum is well and truly with Niko Kovac’s side. Securing another domestic double is an absolute must after crashing out of the Champions League quarter-finals.
Meanwhile, Leipzig have nothing to lose. All of the expectation is on Bayern and that could play into their hands. They are inexperienced at this level but Leipzig will fancy their chances after a run of just one defeat in their last 10 matches in all competitions.
Leipzig are out at 9/2 to win inside 90 minutes and plenty of punters will be tempted by that football betting price given their form. Yes, they have struggled against Bayern in recent times but it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see Leipzig raise their game for this one.
21/50 for Leipzig to score a goal isn’t the worst price in the world. This is a final and Leipzig will push until the very end. Bayern will almost certainly dominate possession but Ralf Rangnick’s side have enough quality to create chances of their own in the final third.
Bayern Munich have dominated the DFB-Pokal since the competition was formed in 1935 with 18 tournament triumphs. Meanwhile, RB Leipzig are yet to lift Germany’s domestic cup and this is their first appearance in the DFB-Pokal final.
That big game experience could prove decisive in the outcome of this contest. Bayern will almost expect to win but they won’t be taking anything for granted. The Evens for Kovac’s side to lead at half-time is one of the bets of the weekend.
The heart may say an emotional triumph for Leipzig but the head says Bayern will emerge victorious. Back against the Bundesliga champions at your peril; this is their stage and a 19th DFB-Pokal success could be on the cards.
TIP: Bayern to be leading at half-time (Evens with 888sport)
LONGSHOT: Robert Lewandowski to score first and Bayern to win (7/2 with 888sport)
PREDICTED SCORE: RB Leipzig 0-2 Bayern Munich (15/2 with 888sport)
*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*
