European champions Bayern Munich begin their FIFA Club World Cup campaign with a semifinal clash against Al Ahly at the Al Rayyan Stadium in Doha on Monday night.
Bayern played a Bundesliga clash on Friday night against Hertha Berlin, which they won 1-0, thanks to a goal from Kingsley Coman.
With the travel also factoring into the days between the two games, Hansi Flick may decide to rotate his squad and make a number of changes to the lineup.
Bayern qualified for this tournament with their UEFA Champions League win in August. That was a memorable campaign for Bayern, capped off by the knockout stages in Lisbon.
They beat Barcelona 8-2 in the quarterfinal, and then strolled past Lyon in the semifinal, to set up the final against Paris Saint-Germain.
Bayern won that final 1-0 thanks to a goal from Coman. They come to Qatar now, already having established a substantial lead in their quest for yet another Bundesliga title.
Egyptian side Al Ahly have already played a game in this tournament. The African champions beat defending Qatar Stars League champions Al Duhail 1-0 in the quarterfinal, to set up one of the biggest clashes in their history.
Al Ahly vs Bayern Munich Head-to-Head
Al Ahly and Bayern Munich have never faced each other in a competitive clash before.
Al Ahly Form Guide: W-D-W-D-W
Bayern Munich Form Guide: W-W-W-W-L
Al Ahly vs Bayern Munich Team News
Al Ahly
For the moment, Al Ahly have no injury concerns. They are likely to field a similar team to the one that beat Al Duhail in the last match.
Injured: None
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
Bayern Munich
Leon Goretzka, Tanguy Nianzou, Javi Martinez and Alexander Nubel have not been named in the Bayern squad for this tournament, as they recover from injuries.
There may be starts in this game for the likes of Jamal Musiala and Lucas Hernandez.
Injured: Leon Goretzka, Tanguy Nianzou, Javi Martinez, Alexander Nubel
Doubtful: None
Al Ahly vs Bayern Munich Predicted XI
Al Ahly Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Mohamed El Shenawy; Mohamed Hany, Badr Benoun, Ayman Ashraf, Ali Maaloul; Hamdy Fathi, Amr El Solia; Hussein El Shahat, Mohamed Magdi, Taher Mohamed; Walter Bwalya
Bayern Munich Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Manuel Neuer; Bouna Sarr, Jerome Boateng, Lucas Hernandez, Alphonso Davies; Corentin Tolisso, Joshua Kimmich; Douglas Costa, Jamal Musiala, Leroy Sane; Robert Lewandowski
Al Ahly vs Bayern Munich Prediction
The travel and the minimal recovery time might play a part in Bayern not being at their best.
However, Bayern have immense quality within their ranks and will be determined to win this competition. We expect Bayern to win this game.
Prediction: Al Ahly 0-2 Bayern Munich