Hansi Flick says Bayern Munich must be wary of a Holstein Kiel side with "nothing to lose" when they meet in the second round of the DFB-Pokal on Wednesday.
Holders Bayern will travel to Holstein-Stadion smarting from squandering a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 against Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga last Friday.
Kiel are third in 2. Bundesliga and will be eyeing a shock when they take on the European champions for the first time.
Bayern head coach Flick, who is set to welcome the fit-again Serge Gnabry back into his squad, warned the Bavarian giants will be in for a battle against the second-tier side.
He said in a press conference on Tuesday: "Holstein Kiel have got nothing to lose.
"I follow them closely, I know Uwe Stover very well and I've known him for a long time, so naturally I follow their progress more closely.
"Their team has strengthened a lot - they have a clear plan and they like to attack."
Flick added: "We will be taking this task seriously. We are expected to win this game, but it's not always possible to meet these expectations."
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting misses out with a back injury, while Kingsley Coman will not be risked as Flick revealed the winger is "feeling some discomfort in his muscles."
Flick will not make a decision on who will make the trip to Kiel until the day of the game.
"We will train as normal on Wednesday ahead of the game, then we will decide who is to travel to Kiel with us," he said.
"There are a lot of games at the moment and we're spending a lot of time in hotels, which is why we're not traveling until matchday."
Nashville SC v San Jose Earthquakes: ‘A win would change everything’ - Godoy
Anibal Godoy insists that Nashville are already looking at their game against San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday as a must-win.
Nashville have won just once in the MLS this season and sit in 14th place in the Eastern Conference after a run of four without a win.
The Earthquakes, meanwhile, are bottom of the Western Conference having lost eight of their matches and recording just one win.
Godoy is aware of how their poor start to the season could affect their playoff hopes later down the line but is confident that Nashville can turn things around.
He said: “For us, it's an important week. It's a day we have to win, or we'll start to feel the pressure from other teams as they start to separate in the table.
“This league is long but if we want to get to the playoff you have to win games early on, especially at home.”
Liverpool agree compensation deal for Slot
Liverpool and Feyenoord have reached an agreement in principle over a compensation deal for Arne Slot to become the Reds’ manager next season, according to widespread Dutch media reports.
The Dutchman is reportedly poised to take over from Jurgen Klopp, who announced in January that he would be leaving the club at the end of the campaign.
Slot led Feyenoord to their second Eredivisie title last season after taking over the club in 2021.
It is believed that he topped the list of Liverpool’s favoured candidates due to his attacking playing style and ability to develop players.
Former Liverpool midfielder, Xabi Alonso, who led Bayer Leverkusen to their first Bundesliga title, and Sporting CP’s Ruben Amorim were also reported contenders to take over from Klopp.
Slot had already confirmed his interest in managing in the Premier League, both earlier this week and previously when he was linked to Tottenham in 2023.
QPR 4-0 Leeds United: Shock loss for Farke's men seals Leicester's promotion
QPR thrashed Leeds United 4-0 in the Championship on Friday, ensuring Leicester City booked their promotion straight back to the Premier League.
Ilias Chair was the star for the Hoops as he scored the opener and assisted two more goals to ensure QPR will stay in the Championship for another season.
Lucas Andersen, Lyndon Dykes and Sam Field also got their names on the scoresheet in an emphatic win for Marti Cifuentes' side.
Leeds' heaviest defeat of the season was a huge blow in the race for an automatic promotion spot, with Ipswich Town just one point behind them in third place with two games in hand going into their away clash against Hull City on Saturday.
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