Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich host in-form Freiburg on Sunday under pressure to bounce back from consecutive defeats including their shock midweek German Cup exit.
Freiburg are on a club record five-game winning streak in the league while Bayern are licking their wounds after crashing out of the German Cup to second-division Holstein Kiel in a penalty shoot-out.
“The team will now have to show the coach that what happened was a hiccup,” Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told Munich newspaper TZ.
It was the first time for 20 years that Bayern have exited the cup in the second round to a club outside the Bundesliga and ends any potential repeat of last year’s treble haul.
The shock defeat left Bayern coach Hansi Flick knowing the European champions “must do better” having also thrown away a two-goal lead in last Friday’s 3-2 league loss at Moenchengaldbach.
“That’s their right,” Flick said concerning the displeasure of his superiors, “they are the ones who are in charge at Bayern Munich.