Full time: After holding the Bavarians to a 0-0 draw, Gladbach succumb on penalties. This gives Bayern their fifth win in 10 editions of the Telekom Cup, making them the undisputed masters of this friendly competition. Here are some initial reactions to tide you over until the post-game articles:

• Thiago Alcantara was given the captain’s armband, and he put in a captain’s performance in midfield. Gladbach were totally dominated in the center of the park, and it was all because of the Spaniard. He seems to have carried his Hinrunde form over to the Ruckrunde.
• Bayern’s offense and defense lacked a lot of cohesion in both games. Of course, Niko Kovac used unconventional lineups, and it’s not like our opponents were much better, but it’s still not a great thing to see.
• Alphonso Davies is very much capable of taking on defenders at this level, but for some reason he seems afraid to do so. When he receives the ball he opts to square it to Thiago or Rafinha rather than dribble. When the young Canandian actually tried, he blew past two Gladbach defenders with his fancy footwork — but once again, he ruined his work with another backpass. Davies has the skills, now he needs the confidence to show us what he’s got.
• On that same note, Davies should have won a penalty near the end of the game. The referee didn’t give it, and it was the wrong decision in my opinion.
• James Rodriguez, in his first game back, struggled to create linkups with his teammates. It felt like the AEK Athens game back in November, where Bayern’s attack looked stale and devoid of ideas.
• Sandro Wagner has really been awful lately. He just got here, but maybe it’s time for Bayern to move on.

Lineup:

Here’s the lineup for the final of the Telekom Cup. James Rodriguez makes his comeback, while Alphonso Davies gets his first ever start for Bayern Munich.

Update!

Borussia Monchengladbach beat Hertha Berlin 1-0 and will now take on Bayern Munich in the final.

Well that’s the first part done. Bayern Munich will play the winner of Gladbach-Berlin in the final of the Telekom Cup at 16:30 CET. We’ll have coverage for that too, so stay tuned!

It feels like an eternity since the winter break started, so we are craving some action from Bayern Munich. Thankfully, the Telekom Cup is here to scratch that itch. This year, Fortuna Dusseldorf will host the Bavarians in the 10th edition of this unique competition.

The game will be played as a single 45 minute half, and not a full 90. Once Bayern have finished playing, Hertha Berlin and Borussia Monchengladbach will take to the pitch. The winner of Fortuna-Bayern and Berlin-Gladbach will face off against each other in a “final” some time later.

As far as excitement is concerned, nothing can be more exciting than seeing our favorite players back in action after so long. This will also be the first chance for fans to catch a glimpse of Alphonso Davies in a Bayern shirt, although it depends on whether the coach decides to start him or not. However, this being a preseason friendly, there’s no reason to hold him back.

Bayern Munich are historically the most successful side in the Telekom Cup, with 4 wins to their name. Winning another will be a good indication that Niko Kovac’s men are fit and ready to take on Hoffenheim next week.

Lineups:

Match Info

Location: Merkur Spiel-Arena, Dusseldorf, Germany

Time: 1 pm local time, 7 am EST

TV/streaming: Fubo.tv, Find Your Country [It’s unlikely that there will be any official streaming links though. Stay tuned.]

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