FC Bayern Munich can go top of the Bundesliga table on Friday night, with a win over FC Koln at the RheinEnergieStadion.
Bayern go into Friday’s clash two points behind title rivals Bayer Leverkusen.
Last game of the season. Bundesliga on the line. Away at Köln. You probably remember the rest...#MiaSanMia #KOEFCB pic.twitter.com/iz3Z0EpbJK— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN) November 22, 2023
Last game of the season. Bundesliga on the line. Away at Köln. You probably remember the rest...#MiaSanMia #KOEFCB pic.twitter.com/iz3Z0EpbJK
A win over Koln for Bayern Munich would put pressure on Bayer Leverkusen to keep pace. Leverkusen will play on Saturday at Werder Bremen.
Thomas Tuchel’s Bayern Munich defeated Koln on the final day of the Bundesliga season a year ago.
Like Friday night’s match, the fixture took place at the RheinEnergieStadion. Die Roten pulled off a 2-1 victory to claim the title ahead of Borussia Dortmund.
The RheinEnergieStadion could hold a similar fortune for Bayern this season. While they cannot win the title so early in the campaign, a loss or draw would allow Bayer Leverkusen to open the gap at the top of the table.
Bayern went unbeaten in their last four games versus Koln in all competitions. Three of those four fixtures were wins for Die Roten.
Koln will begin the weekend second from the bottom of the table. They took just six points from the opening 11 matches. No team has scored fewer goals than Koln in the Bundesliga. The Billy Goats bagged a mere nine goals.
In comparison, no team has scored more goals than Bayern Munich this term. Tuchel’s team is scoring for fun, with 42 goals. Bayern’s defence is the best in the division, with a mere nine goals conceded.
Four of Koln’s six points have come at home this season. The Billy Goats went unbeaten in their last two home fixtures, defeating Borussia Monchengladbach 3-1 and drawing 1-1 with Augsburg.
Bayern, on the other hand, are unbeaten on the road this term, with four wins and a draw from five games. Die Roten conceded a mere four times away from the Allianz Arena.
Tuchel will be without attacking midfielder Jamal Musial due to a hamstring injury. Matthijs de Ligt is ruled out of action thanks to an ACL injury.
The good news for Tuchel is Harry Kane’s form. He has 17 goals this term, accounting for 40% of Bayern’s goals.
Three players are in the treatment room for Koln coach Steffen Baumgart. Damion Downs could return following a knock.
Philipp Pentke is ruled out with a knee injury. Jacob Christensen won’t be available due to a muscle strain.
Bayern Munich are on a roll currently and should go top of the table with a win over Koln. Die Roten should post a 3-1 win away from home. Five of the teams’ last six matches finished with both teams scoring. In addition, five of the last six matches saw over 2.5 goals.