Weekend Warm-up: Odds on Bayern Munich retaining Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Müller, Manuel Neuer, and others; Bundesliga and Champions League predictions; Throwing it back to The Toadies; and MORE!

Earlier this week, Abendzeitung put some odds on the likelihood that Bayern Munich would be able reach contract extensions with some of its key figures.

Below, we listed those percentages for retention from Abendzeitung, along with our own predictions. Take a look and then join in the fun by adding your own in the comments below.

Corentin Tolisso

• Contract ends: 2022
• Abendzeitung: 50%
• BFW: 33%
• Summary: Abendzeitung is a bit more optimistic about Tolisso than I am. While it is conceivable to think about Tolisso wanting to re-up — and there is certainly interest from people at the club like Julian Nagelsmann — it just seems like a move is the proper thing for Tolisso. Riddled with injuries and inconsistent when healthy, a fresh start is needed. It just seems like this summer would be a good, natural breaking point for both parties.

Sven Ulreich

• Contract ends: 2022
• Abendzeitung: 60%
• BFW: 75%
• Summary: This is tough. Ulreich’s future could really be determined by how he performs while Manuel Neuer recovers from his knee surgery. If Ulreich flames out, he will have probably sealed his own fate. If Ulriech proves to be up to the task, there is a good chance that Bayern Munich will extend him for at least one more year.

Thomas Müller

• Contract ends: 2023
• Abendzeitung: 95%
• BFW: 99.9%
• Summary: There is a .01% chance that Müller is holding some deep-seated grudge over wasted time during his prime under Carlo Ancelotti and Niko Kovac — or that he just wants a huge payout from an English club...otherwise, he’s staying in Bavaria.

Manuel Neuer

• Contract ends: 2023
• Abendzeitung: 100%
• BFW: 100%
• Summary: This just makes sense for all involved. The GOAT is not going anywhere.

Robert Lewandowski

• Contract ends: 2023
• Abendzeitung: 80%
• BFW: 60%
• Summary: This is tough. It seems like everyone involved wants to make an extension happen, but why hire Pini Zahavi back in 2018 if not for planning a future move? Any agent could take Lewandowski’s resume and get a good deal on a contract extension, but Zahavi’s specialty is plotting mega-transfers. While I still feel like Lewandowski wants to to stay and that Bayern Munich wants to retain him, there is an outside chance that the Poland international could be tempted by another challenge with a larger pay day.

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Bavarian Podcast Works: Weekend Warm-up Podcast Season 1, Episode 36

It’s a throwback episode to the old days when Chuck and Jake were the only knuckleheads talking Bayern Munich for Bavarian Football Works!

It’s true, after a few consecutive solo runs, Chuck teamed up with Jake to cover the following topics for this episode of the Weekend Warm-up Podcast:

• Manuel Neuer’s surprising injury and whether or not Sven Ulreich will be up to the task in filling Neuer’s boots.
• A brief look at next week’s Champions League match against Red Bull Salzburg.
• The equally shocking transfer of Niklas Süle to Borussia Dortmund.
• The possibilities for replacing Süle, who the prime candidates are, and why Bayern Munich might need to think outside the box.
• Some quick thoughts on the entertainment world as Chuck gives a quick and dirty review of the latest season of Ozark, while Jake talks Succession and Euphoria.

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Song of the Week: “Possum Kingdom” by The Toadies

Man, when this song came out in 1994, it swept in and captured alt rock radio in a huge way. With just the right amount of hard guitar, an alternative sound, and the typical angst that came along with many bands from the time period, this was a massive hit — that still gets some time in rotation for alt rock stations today.

Here is a little synopsis on the song from Wikipedia:

The song’s origins lie in folklore from the band’s native state of Texas. Possum Kingdom Lake is a lake in North Texas near Fort Worth. In the documentary “Dark Secrets: The Stories of Rubberneck”, Lewis further elaborates that he intended “Possum Kingdom” to be a continuation of the story told in the song “I Burn”. While he envisioned “I Burn” to be a story about cult members immolating themselves in order to ascend to a higher plane, “Possum Kingdom” was about one of the immolated people becoming “just smoke, and ...he goes to Possum Kingdom [Lake] and tries to find somebody to join him.”

While The Toadies don’t explicitly say the song was influenced by the whole David Koresh saga in Waco (at least in the noted I read), it would appear that there was at least something to it based on that explanation.

Anyway, here you go...throw it back to the year I graduated high school:

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Bavarian Podcast Works: Preview Show — Bayern Munich vs. VfL Bochum

Bayern Munich has had an absolutely wild week off-the-pitch and things were even complicated with the team’s health as Jamal Musiala tested positive for COVID-19, while Sven Ulreich had a scare — before testing negative.

There are certainly enough reasons for the squad to be distracted against VfL Bochum, so Julian Nagelsmann will be tested. Can the manager keep his players focused on the task at hand (VfL Bochum)? Or, will the team be distracted by the transfer drama surrounding Niklas Süle, next Wednesday’s Champions League showdown with Red Bull Salzburg, or the creeping thoughts about missing players like Manuel Neuer and Jamal Musiala?

Regardless, this is what we have on tap:

• A look at the recent form of each team.
• A chance for players like Sven Ulreich and potentially Paul Wanner to shine.
• A prediction on the match.

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Predictions

It’s true that Bayern Munich could fall victim to looking past VfL Bochum with a Champions League date waiting next Wednesday, but the Rekordmeister is too good to slip up now. I’m expecting VfL Bochum to sit back and try and absorb Bayern Munich’s offensive surge, but eventually the Bavarians will break through and dominate the match.

Prediction: VfL Bochum 0-4 Bayern Munich

Red Bull Salzburg will present some challenges to Bayern Munich, but not enough to walk away with a victory. Full of young, fresh legs and talent, Salzburg has enough going for it to make things complicated for Bayern Munich, but the overall star power from the Bavarians will be more than enough to carry the squad to a victory in Austria.

Champions League Prediction: Red Bull Salzburg 1-3 Bayern Munich

Other Bundesliga predictions include:

• RB Leipzig 3-1 FC Köln
• Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-1 FC Augsburg
• Eintracht Frankfurt 1-1 Wolfsburg
• SC Freiburg 2-1 Mainz 05
• SpVgg Greuther Fürth 1-2 Hertha Berlin
• Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 VfB Stuttgart
• Union Berlin 1-4 Borussia Dortmund
• Hoffenheim 2-1 Arminia Bielefeld

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Prediction Records

Last Bundesliga Match Day record: 4-5

Overall Bundesliga record: 99-91

DFB-Pokal record: 1-1

DFL-Supercup record: 1-0

Champions League record: 6-0

Overall record: 105-92