Bayern Munich find themselves two points behind table-topping Borussia Dortmund as they prepare to face FC Koln at RheinEnergieStadion on the final day of the Bundesliga season.
The perennial champions have led the way for much of the season, but last weekend’s 3-1 defeat to RB Leipzig enabled Dortmund to take control of the title race.
Putting the work in 💪#MiaSanMia pic.twitter.com/C4TQxfo0oz— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN) May 24, 2023
Putting the work in 💪#MiaSanMia pic.twitter.com/C4TQxfo0oz
Having won each of the previous 10 Bundesliga titles, Bayern’s domination of German football could come to an end on Saturday, regardless of whether they beat Koln.
As for the FC Koln, they occupy 10th place in the table, sitting 10 points clear of the bottom three and 26 points behind Bayern Munich.
The Billy Goats have experienced something of an inconsistent campaign, recording 10 wins, 12 draws and 11 losses, although they have enjoyed plenty of success in recent weeks.
Indeed, Koln have taken seven points from their last three matches, with victories over Bayer Leverkusen and Hertha Berlin preceding last weekend’s 1-1 draw at Werder Bremen.
Having lost just one of their previous eight outings – picking up four wins and three draws in the process – the Billy Goats will fancy their chances of frustrating Bayern.
The Bavarians suffered a solitary defeat across their opening 20 Bundesliga games this term, putting themselves in pole position to clinch an 11th successive title.
Since then, however, Bayern Munich have recorded four losses in 13 league outings, while Borussia Dortmund have continued to win.
There is no hiding the fact that Bayern have struggled on the road of late, losing three of their previous six away league encounters.
That said, Thomas Tuchel’s men boast the best offensive record and the best defensive record in the division, so they will be confident of finishing the season on a high.
Head-to-head: Across all competitions, FC Koln have failed to win any of their last 17 meetings with Bayern Munich.
The Bavarians claimed nine straight wins over the Billy Goats between 2017 and 2022, although Koln held Bayern to a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture back in January.
Team news: FC Koln will have to make do without the injured trio of Steffen Tigges, Mark Uth and Florian Dietz for the final game of the season.
On the flip side, Bayern Munich’s injury list contains Alphonso Davies, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Manuel Neuer and Lucas Hernandez.
Although Bayern have flattered to deceive in recent times, they shouldn’t struggle to get the better of FC Koln as they search for an 11th title in a row.
Forebet predicts that Bayern Munich will score over 2.5 goals on their way to beating FC Koln, although the Bavarians will need Dortmund to slip up in order to snatch the title.