Hannover 96 vs Bayern Munich: Full time 3-0

FULL TIME: HANNOVER 0-3 BAYERN MUNICH. The last half hour of the match was a foregone conclusion. Despite playing on cruise control, Bayern still managed to score a final, third goal in a deserved victory. Onward to Real.

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(89') BAYERN SCORE! 3-0. Sebastian Rudy finishes off Hannover with his long-awaited debut-goal for Bayern Munich. Rudy shot the ball into the open left half of the goal off a nice assist from Thomas Müller.

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BAYERN SCORE! 2-0. Robert Lewandowski makes it 2-0 in the 72’ minute off a deep header on a corner kick.

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(71’) Javi Martinez replaces James Rodriguez for Bayern’s final substitution

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(67’) Robert Lewandowski replaces Sandro Wagner. Jupp Heynckes wants to keep the Polish striker in a scoring mood ahead of Bayern’s match against Real Madrid.

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BAYERN SCORE! 1-0. Thomas Müller puts the guests ahead on a well-taken goal with his left foot off a cross by Juan Bernat.

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SECOND HALF. Thomas Müller replaces Arjen Robben for the second half. That is the only lineup change thus far.

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HALFTIME. Bayern Munich are in almost total control: with over 75% possession. Hannover have still managed five shots, prompting a world-class save from Sven Ulreich. On the opposite end of the pitch, Philipp Tschauner has kept Hannover in the game.

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(42') Niklas Süle is doing things we didn't know he could do. Not only is he playing excellently as CDM, he just delivered a perfect cross into the box. Blocked by Hannover, Thiago shoots the rebound back at the goal, provoking another outstanding save by Tschauner.

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(39’) Thomas Müller is warming up by doing a silly walk on the sidelines.

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(29’) Juan Bernat does his best Ronaldo impression on the left wing, burns his defender and fires a perfect cross for Sandro Wagner, but Tschauner makes a fantastic save.

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(27’) #SvenTheWall! Ulreich makes a world-class save at the near post, somehow blocking a shot that he could not see until the very last instant.

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(25’) After twenty minutes of complete control by the Bavarians, Hannover get a rare break. A good pass finds Fullkrug unmarked, but Juan Bernat makes a crucial block.

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(16’) Sandro Wagner has to be treated after an aerial collision.

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(11') First big chance: Rafinha finds Thiago unmarked with a great cross. Thiago connects on the header, but sends it just over the bar.

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Kickoff! Here we go! Fire up the pyro and let’s get the ball rolling. Hannover line up against Bayern in a 3-4-3.

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1 hour before kickoff. Lukas Mai is wearing the number 15 in his professional debut for Bayern Munich. He is the first player born in 2000 to debut for Bayern. Only six players were younger.

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Bayern’s starting lineup:

Jupp Heynckes is resting as many players as he can afford. While it looks as if Lukas Mai will play at center-back alongside Jerome Boateng, Niklas Süle may move to left-back, where he has briefly played earlier this season. If that's the case, while Rafinha play at right-back, Juan Bernat will play on the left-wing opposite Arjen Robben.

The two attacking midfielders, James Rodriguez and Thiago, are the two players to watch the closest: both of them are strong candidates to start against Madrid, so Heynckes may substitute them relatively early, if he can afford to.

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Hour and a half before kickoff. Lukas Mai is not only in the squad, but according to Bild, he will feature in the starting lineup alongside Niklas Süle! Does Jupp have other surprises up his sleeve?

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2 hours before kickoff. Lukas Mai, the captain of Bayern II, has traveled with the team to Hannover. Will he see some action today?

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Ok, it’s getting increasingly difficult to write inspirational teasers for our Bundesliga games. I mean, we’ve won the title, who cares anymore? Well, I do. If Bayern Munich is playing, then I’m watching, even if it’s the least consequential game in the history of sport.

Anyway, back to the match. Hannover 96 promise to be stern opponents for the Bavarians, at least nominally. Jupp Heynckes will want as few injuries as possible ahead of Wednesday’s clash against Real Madrid, so expect to see a completely rotated lineup. This is a game for guys like Sebastian Rudy, Corentin Tolisso, and Juan Bernat. Sandro Wagner is most likely to lead the line, and he’s done a great job of it so far — scoring almost a goal very 90 minutes. Therefore, no matter who starts, we know this:

It’s Bayern time.

Location: HDI Arena, Hannover, Germany

Time: 3:30 pm local time, 9:30 am EST

TV/Streaming: USA (FOX Soccer Match Pass, FOX Sports GO, fuboTV, Fox Sports 1, FOX Deportes), Germany (Sky Go Deutschland, Sky Sport Bundesliga 2, Sky Sport Bundesliga 1), Canada (Sportsnet World, Sportsnet Now, Sportsnet World Now), India (Star Sports HD 2 Asia, Star Sports 2 Asia)

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Tips for commenting:

1. If you’re a new member, feel free to introduce yourself. Don’t feel pressured or anything, we’re mostly very friendly. Also, we’re from all parts of the world so don’t feel shy if you’re from a country that doesn’t seem represented on the blog.
2. Refresh the page regularly to keep up with the discussion. One refresh every 55-60 seconds is ideal but if that’s too much then just try for one every five minutes and after every goal.
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Check out our beginners thread if you have any more questions. That’s about it. Auf geht’s!

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