Bayern Munich will face SC Freiburg in the DFB-Pokal quarterfinals

Bayern Munich’s road to Berlin is not getting any easier.

The record DFB-Pokal champions have drawn SC Freiburg in the quarterfinals of this season’s tournament. Freiburg are enjoying a good domestic season, currently in the Champions League spots of the Bundesliga and having reached the Pokal quarterfinals, not to mention winning their Europa League group. Freiburg also finished runners-up in last season’s Pokal, narrowly losing on penalties to RB Leipzig.

Bayern, meanwhile, are enjoying their most successful run in the Pokal in three seasons since they won it in 2020. Since then, two ignominious second round exits have tarnished the Rekordmeister’s, well, record, and Julian Nagelsmann will be desperate to restore some much needed pride to Bayern’s Pokal legacy.

For the first time in this season’s Pokal, Bayern are playing at the Allianz Arena. After away trips to Cologne, Augsburg, and Mainz, the team will undoubtedly enjoy the support of their home fans. It also happens to be Bayern’s first home Pokal game in three years, since FC Düren visited the Allianz Arena back in 2020. However, it has been even longer since the Munich home faithful have enjoyed a Pokal game due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the last occasion dating back to a thrilling 4-3 win over Hoffenheim in the round of 16 of the 19/20 season.

Fate has it that Bayern and Freiburg will be facing each other twice in the same week, as the Pokal quarterfinals take place right before Bayern’s Bundesliga trip to Freiburg. The last time something like this happened was in 18/19, when Bayern first faced Werder Bremen at home in the league before journeying up to Bremen for the Pokal. Bayern won both games.

The last time Bayern faced Freiburg in the Pokal was way back in 2004/05. Bayern trounced Freiburg 7-0 at their home stadium, with Claudio Pizarro scoring four times. Bayern went on to win the tournament.

Here is the full draw, with the game to be played on the 4th and 5th of April. That Leipzig-Dortmund tie looks tasty…