Bayern Munich boss Niko Kovac insists his side are firmly focused on their upcoming match against Werder Bremen and will not be drawn into talk of the double.
The Bavarians are set to face Bremen twice in five days, in the Bundesliga on Saturday and in a DFB-Pokal semi-final on Wednesday.
With Bayern just one point ahead of rivals Borussia Dortmund in the league, the manager is unwilling to take any chances.
“We need to focus on the first game, we have to win that first,” Kovac told fcbayern.com.
“We’re up against an opponent in really good form. They’re still unbeaten this year and have scored in every game.”
Bremen are the only Bundesliga club to have found the net in all of their 29 matches so far this season and currently sit in seventh place, one point shy of the Europa League qualifying places.
Kovac added: “Things are going well of late. We’ve played really well, scored a lot of goals and conceded very few. The team feels assured now.”
The 47-year-old Croatian will have a number of selection dilemmas for the double-header.
Niklas Sule is suspended in the cup and the manager does not want to take any chances with Mats Hummels, while James Rodriguez also remains a doubt for Saturday’s game.
Bayern will also be without Arjen Robben, who is undergoing rehabilitation training, and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who sustained a muscle fibre tear in his calf during the 4-1 win at Fortuna Dusseldorf on Sunday.
Neuer is just as cautious as his manager, adding: “We’re just playing finals now.
“We have to invest everything to come out on top in the end.”
Florian Kohfeldt insisted his Bremen side were aware of the challenge they will face at the Allianz Arena on Saturday.
“The team know what lies ahead of them,” Kohfeldt told werder.de.
“We’re up against an opponent who have proven they are the strongest team in Germany.
“There is no plan in existence that could take all of their strengths out of the game.”
He added: “We’re also capable of turning a game in our favour. It’s clear that we need to put forth a strong performance and for Bayern to not have such a great day.
‘Managing Leeds? It was an option that appeared, but it wasn’t the right timing. I decided it wasn’t a good idea to leave the club I was at mid-season’: Premier League boss admits to turning down opportunity to replace Jesse Marsch in 2023
‘Ruben Amorim could have waited for Real Madrid and had a better chance to be successful – to have joined Manchester United, he must be convinced in his own ability’ Former Old Trafford coach’s verdict on new boss
