Bundesliga News

Report:
BVB's Schulz and Piszczek fit and available for DFL Super Cup

By Peter Weis   @PeterVicey

Hans Dieter Flick and Lucien Favre will choose their squads carefully in a midweek meeting that carries much more weight than in previous years. It appears that the BVB coach will get two additional defensive options back.
Lukasz Piszczek.
Lukasz Piszczek.Photo: Tim Reckmann, CC BY-SA 2.0
Following Raphaël Guerreiro's surprise return to Dortmund's starting XI on Saturday, the club now reports that trainer Lucien Favre will also have veterans Nico Schulz and Lukasz Piszczek at his disposal when the BVB meets Bayern München in the DFL-Super-Cup on Wednesday.


The 27-year-old Schulz, a recipient of German national team call-ups as recently as last autumn, struggled with injury in the first half of the last campaign and eventually lost his starting spot before incurring another injury in training. The 35-year-old Piszczek was sidelined with back problems after a thirty-minute appearance in the Pokal round.

The return of two defenders certainly gives Favre more options at the back. His three-man-defensive chain allowed underdogs FC Augsburg to score two counterattacking goals in the weekend's 0-2 upset loss. Favre also used Piszczek frequently in his back-three last season, meaning he could retain the set-up and return Emré Can to midfield.

Speculation about how Bayern and Dortmund will line up in Wednesday's clash engenders more interest than in previous years. Germany's Super Cup has never technically been an exhibition, even if it has widely regarded as such by German football fans.

A trophy remains at stake, and Bayern seek their fifth of this calendar year. Furthermore, both Bayern and Dortmund look to bounce back following weekend losses.

BVB Managing Director Hans-Joachim Watzke made clear that his club did not consider the encounter a test match. The tie will draw too large of a domestic and even global audience. "Fans in Europe and overseas will watch this game," Watzke noted, "Both teams must present themselves well."

Many in German footballing circles expect Favre to rest 17-year-olds Giovanni Reyna and Jude Bellingham following disappointing performances in the second round fixture.


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