FC Bayern’s cup game at 1. FC Saarbrücken could fall through. The reason is the heavy rain of the past few days, which recently made the Saarland pitch unplayable. A final decision is not expected until Wednesday.
1. FC Saarbrücken and Dynamo Dresden slid across the pitch in the Ludwigsparkstadion for 45 minutes. In many places there was water on the lawn. A coordinated football game was out of the question. And so referee Arne Aarnink made the decision that he should have made before kick-off: In Saarbrücken, a football game cannot take place on this pitch.
Decision only on Wednesday
People from Munich would have observed these scenes with suspicion. Because on Wednesday, FC Bayern Munich travels to the state capital of Saarland to fight against its third division team for a place in the third round. But whether this game can take place is still unclear. After another inspection of the pitch, a decision will not be made until Wednesday at 3 p.m. – just under six hours before kick-off.
Since it didn’t rain heavily on Tuesday night and no rain has been forecast on Wednesday, there is hope that the cup game in the 2nd main round can be played.
DFB Cup duel: Uncertain view of the weather app
A look at the weather app can – depending on the provider – give cause for hope or for worry lines. Three days of continuous rain on one side, a little drizzle here and there on the other. And that’s why the preparation for the DFB Cup duel will take place with a fair amount of uncertainty for both teams.
But there shouldn’t be scenes like those on Sunday, or even the “Water Battle of Frankfurt” in 1974, when Germany and Poland met at the World Cup and found a pitch that was barely playable. Back then, it was the technically strong Poles who particularly suffered from the lack of space.
And so, even if the water can be cleared from the lawn by Wednesday, the people of Munich should be prepared for an unfamiliar game. Because the rehearsed offensive combinations with short passing relays could flow significantly less smoothly across the track on a battered third division pitch than in the Munich arena.
Hardly time for a catch-up appointment
If the cup game were actually canceled, it would hardly be possible to catch up without league games between the two opponents having to be postponed. After the top Bundesliga game against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, FC Bayern will play Galatasaray Istanbul on the following Wednesday before the national players say goodbye to the international break after the league game against Heidenheim.
After that, the English weeks continue: After the away game on November 24th against 1. FC Köln, FC Bayern welcomes FC Copenhagen in the Champions League. The league game against Union Berlin would be immediately followed by the DFB Cup round of 16.
Source: BR24Sport on the radio
October 30, 2023 – 10:54 a.m
