Bayern Munich vs Cologne

Defending Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich are determined to snap a three-game winless run when they take on relegation-threatened Cologne at the Allianz Arena.

Bayern Munich might have relinquished their 11-season dominance in the Bundesliga after a 3-2 away loss to Heidenheim last weekend, but their European dream is still alive. Thomas Tuchel’s side held Arsenal to an action-packed 2-2 draw in midweek Champions League action, marking a fourth consecutive game across all competitions in which they’ve conceded 2+ goals (W1, D1, L2). Bayern’s defensive frailties have come to the fore recently, with the Bavarians going ten league games without a clean sheet, a run only worse than Hoffenheim’s 23 straight league matches. Despite a substantial gulf in class between Bayern and Cologne, the hosts can’t take anything for granted after conceding in the last three top-flight H2Hs they hosted (W2, D1).

Meanwhile, Cologne’s miserable 2023/24 campaign saw a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel last weekend as a 2-1 home win against Bochum halted their woeful seven-game winless league streak (D4, L3). Stuck four points below safety, the visitors desperately need a point in Munich, where they held Bayern to a 1-1 draw in this corresponding fixture last season. That same scoreline has decided four of Cologne’s five away league matches in 2024 (D5), and given the circumstances, they’d probably sign up for another stalemate if offered before the kick-off. However, the Billy Goats have grown accustomed to disappointments in high-profile games, losing eight of their nine league games against top-five opponents this season (D1), including seven without scoring.