VfL Wolfsburg - Bayern Munich Preview: Wolves' defend their title against in-form Bayern

In what is undoubtedly the tie of the DFB-Pokal second round, Wolfsburg welcome Bayern Munich to the Volkwagen Arena and are desperate to continue their defence of the trophy.

Wolfsburg beginning to string wins together

Despite struggling at the start of the campaign and not matching their immaculate form from last season, things finally seem to be clicking into place for Dieter Hecking and his men. Their European play has been excellent, and an away defeat to Manchester United is the only blemish on an otherwise spotless return to the elite competition of club football.

The Bundesliga has been somewhat of a mixed bag, especially after that heavy defeat to Bayern, but they have won their last two matches domestically and look set to cement a Champions League spot once more. Max Kruse's sudden burst into form has been a relief for everyone, while Julian Draxler is slowly paying off that mammoth price tag.

The biggest boost of all, perhaps, is the return of the enigmatic and tireless Vieirinha. A fan favourite without question, the Portuguese can play anywhere on the right and his energy and creativity will be a welcome return to Hecking's selection plans. Whether he makes his way into the starting line-up on Tuesday remains to be seen, although he would be a marvelous substitute to change the game.

Bayern looking set to challenge on all fronts

After winning all but one game this season, the Bavarians and reigning Bundesliga champions are in ominous form. They have already opened up a seven point gap between themselves and Borussia Dortmund at the top of the league. Pep Guardiola's side are marching towards that crown, but will want to set the record straight in both cup competitions.

Bayern were dumped out in the semi-finals of both the UEFA Champions League and DFB-Pokal last season, and are desperate to earn yet another double. Now with Kingsley Coman and Douglas Costa, the Spaniard has options on the wings and they look to be just as potent as Franck Ribéry and Arjen Robben. The pair have managed an incredible amount of goals and assists, and are proving to be two very shrewd pieces of business.

Of course, they have been aided by the incredible form of Robert Lewandowski. The Wolves need no reminding of what the Polish forward is capable of, having scored an astonishing five goals in nine minutes against them earlier in the season. He has 13 goals to his name in the Bundesliga so far, and will be keen to up that tally in the coming weeks.

Team news

Wolfsburg came the weekend without any injury worries or concerns, and are likely to field a similar eleven that won against Darmstadt. Felipe and Robin Knoche are still out with their injuries and will be unavailable, while Ismail Azzouzi is currently with Belgium at the FIFA U-17 World Cup.

For Bayern, it was a similar story from their triumph over the Billy Goats. They have no fresh injuries, knocks or niggles to contend with but do have a star-studded injury list. Holger Badstuber, Franck Ribéry and Mehdi Benatia are nearing a return, although Mario Götze and Sebastian Rode are long-term absentees.

Referee

Knut Kircher, from Rottenburg, will be the man in the middle on Tuesday evening. Kircher was criticised heavily for awarding Bayern a last-minute penalty against FC Augsburg earlier in the season, so every decision he makes is likely to be heavily scrutinised. The 46-year-old is entering his final year as a Bundesliga referee, ending a 14-year stint in Germany's top-flight.