Midweek Warm-up: Bayern Munich’s early action to keep Lennart Karl away from the sharks; DFB-Pokal predictions; and MORE!

According to a report from Sport Bild journalists Christian Falk and Tobi Altschäffl (as captured by @iMiaSanMia), Bayern Munich phenom Lennart Karl will see his contract turn into a professional deal when he turns 18.

The contract will also extend through 2029 as well as part of a deal that was negotiated by former German superstar Michael Ballack:

Lennart Karl’s contract automatically becomes a professional contract once the player turns 18 in February – and gets extended until 2029. The deal was negotiated with Karl’s agent Michael Ballack.

Max Eberl: “We spoke with Michael Ballack and considered how we could finalize the contract. The main goal was to focus on all the different facets.”

Both sides discussed the club’s future plans with Karl during the negotiations. Eberl, Freund and Kompany had already decided to focus on Karl since the Club World Cup. It was decided to make him Michael Olise’s first backup and not to sign another player for the position

Eberl: “That was a conscious decision, where we said: ‘We want to have fewer players in attack’. Above all, we wanted to focus on three players: Wisdom Mike, Cassiano Kiala, and Lennart. As a result, he got his minutes and, of course, he made impressive use of them. He brought that audacity and carefree attitude to the pitch.”

This shows a strong sense of belief in Karl, who has truly been a breakout star this season for the Bavarians. However, such an aggressive approach could have been driven by other big clubs looking to poach the 17-year-old:

Newcastle, Ajax and Eintracht Frankfurt made attempts to sign Karl when his contract was expiring. But Bayern managed to convince him to stay and showed him a perspective at the club.

There have also been rumors of even bigger clubs (like Manchester City) already eyeing Karl, so Bayern Munich’s efforts to lock him in are likely a preventive measure to ensure it can keep him for an extended period.

Where this all becomes really interesting is when Karl feels like he is ready to be a starter and his pathway is blocked by the likes of Olise, Jamal Musiala, and Luis Díaz. It is too early to think about that as of yet, but the situation will be inevitable if Karl continues his rapid ascent up the ranks.

Song of the Midweek: “Lump” by The Presidents of the United States of America

As you know, I’ve been on a 90s kick again and came across this forgotten tune.

The Presidents of the United States of America had a clunky name, but they also had a moment with a couple of big hits. I could actually smell 1995 just hearing this. Enjoy:

Of course, if you remember that time period, Weird Al was still very much a thing and he jumped right into his wheelhouse with his version, titled, “Gump.”

Entertainment Rundown

In Friday’s Weekend Warm-up, we will have a review of It: Welcome to Derry— Episode 5 and the full season of Terminal List — Dark Wolf.

In addition, we are starting the latest season of Stranger Things as well.

Predictions

Bayern Munich will seek to right the wrong from November and come out super-energetic and highly-aggressive. Look for Harry Kane and the Bayern Munich attack to keep the pressure on Union Berlin and eventually wear down the home side. Defensively, Bayern Munich is now fully aware of what the Iron Ones can do and will look to limit those quick counter-attacks and should be much more equipped to deal with Union Berlin’s set-piece strength this time around.

Prediction; Union 0-3 Bayern Munich

Other DFB-Pokal predictions:

• Borussia Mönchengladbach 1-2 St. Pauli (L)

• Hertha Berlin 6-1 Kaiserslautern (W)

• Borussia Dortmund 0-1 Bayer Leverkusen (L)

• RB Leipzig 3-1 FC Magdeburg (W)

• SC Freiburg 2-0 SV Darmstadt 98

• VfL Bochum 1-3 VfB Stuttgart

• Hamburger SV 2-1 Holstein Kiel

Prediction Results

• Total: 304-152

• Perfect Picks: 29

• Bundesliga Last Matchday: 4-5

• Bundesliga Overall: 66-42

• DFB-Pokal: 40-8

• World Cup Qualifiers/Friendlies: 99-45

• Champions League: 56-34

• Club World Cup: 39-23

• Club Friendlies: 3-0

• Franz Beckenbauer Supercup: 1-0

If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…