Bayern Munich is officially off to the best start in European history. After 13 consecutive wins, each upcoming match will become tenser as the streak becomes a target for opponents. Since winning consecutive DFB-Pokal titles in 2019 and 2020, Bayern has gone 2-3 in the second round of the domestic knockout tournament.
In recent years, Bayern has held a dominant advantage over Köln, winning 18 of the last 20 encounters. The other two matches ended in 1-1 draws.
Köln earned promotion back to the top flight this season after winning the second division title in 2024/25. Köln is currently sitting in eighth place with a record of 3W-2D-3L.
Despite the upcoming three day turnaround ahead of the Bayer Leverkusen clash, Vincent Kompany will want his best unit playing the first 60 minutes against a tough Köln side. If Josip Stanišić were healthy, he would be starting opposite Konrad Laimer as an outside back. Serge Gnabry looked solid in 30 minutes of activity on Saturday and should be re-inserted at the number ten position.
Lennart Karl must see the field in the final 30 minutes, providing another spark as the super sub sensation. Raphaël Guerreiro, Nicolas Jackson, Kim Min-jae, Leon Goretzka, and Tom Bischof will also be on standby to play a supporting role.
From an injury standpoint, Bayern will be without the services of Jamal Musiala, Alphonso Davies, and Hiroki Itō. Josip Stanišić and Serge Gnabry both returned against Gladbach and looked fit. Manuel Neuer will be serving the second game of his two match suspension from his first career red card that he picked up against Bayer Leverkusen last December.
After four years at SC Paderborn, Polish manager Lukas Kwasniok has adapted nicely to the top flight of the Bundesliga. The formation is a little unpredictable but will likely follow the 3-4-3 formation used in the previous three matches. In all three losses this season, Köln has won the xG battle but failed to capitalize on those opportunities. Keep an eye on 19-year old German attacker and Bayern transfer target Said El Mala.
