Vincent Kompany collapsing at training is the headline before Freiburg v Bayern, but I'm not sure it's what changes this match most. Aaron Danks and the same staff, René Marić included, say they're preparing as normal. The bigger change is in midfield: Kimmich is still away with his family, Pavlović has been rested with a calf problem, and t-online names only Tom Bischof and Konrad Laimer, who Bayern mostly use at full-back, as central options. That's the zone Freiburg would want to go after, and it's also where they looked worst last week.
Schuster didn't hold back after the 0-3 at Monaco: cheap goals, no grip in the duels, and against top sides a lot has to go right. Yannik Engelhardt went off after 15 minutes there with a hip problem and is doubtful, so Freiburg's midfield may be patched as well, with the Yahoo preview naming Patrick Osterhage as the likely stand-in. Freiburg also played a day later than Bayern did, so they have less rest. They're third, a point behind Bayern, but after 1-2 at Leverkusen and the Monaco defeat Schuster admitted the run is interrupted for now.
Bayern's results hide something too. Their last four went 2-2 at Augsburg, 3-3 at Viking, 6-1 against Leipzig and 2-2 with Arsenal, so eight conceded in four, and that was before the midfield got stripped back. Olise is available again after his Champions League ban, which helps going forward, and Jonas Urbig is in goal for Neuer.
So what I'd watch isn't really who's on the bench in a suit. It's which makeshift midfield pair wins the second balls: Bischof with Laimer, or Freiburg's version without Engelhardt. Both clubs have a cup tie a few days later, so neither coach can empty the bench without thinking about it.
