Bayern Munich vs. Cologne: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream, TV Info
Bayern Munich will look to extend their run to 10 straight victories to start their 2015-16 Bundesliga campaign on Saturday as they play host to Cologne at the Allianz Arena. The match comes a week after the Bavarian giants set a new league record for points earned after nine games.
Although things have gone magnificently well for Bayern in the Bundesliga, Pep Guardiola and company will enter the game with a point to prove after losing 2-0 to Arsenal on Tuesday in the Champions League. The defeat marked the first time the German giants had failed to claim a victory in any competition for a span of two-and-a-half months.
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Guardiola reacted calmly to the result in his post-match press conference, per Sky Sports, as did Manuel Neuer, who made a key mistake that led to the Gunners' opener.
The Bavarians will surely look to turn things around as soon as possible, and they will see the Cologne match as a good chance to adjust and get back to winning ways.
Peter Stoger's side have been a bit of a surprise package this season, earning an impressive 14 points from their nine games thus far.
Summer signings like Anthony Modeste, Leonardo Bittencourt and Dominique Heintz have invigorated the Billy Goats, who, at the moment, stand just a point off fourth place in the Bundesliga table.
Cologne were very unfortunate to lose to Hannover last weekend, after Leon Andreasen scored the only goal of the match with what was clearly a handball. "I offered to lend my glasses to the linesman, but he didn’t see it either," a livid Stoger told reporters after the game, per FoxSoccer.
Stoger and company will have to pull themselves together as they face a Goliath at the Allianz Arena, with the hosts heavy favorites to win.
Should the Billy Goats pull off the improbable, though, the Hannover defeat will immediately become a distant memory.
Date: Saturday, October 24
Time: 2:30 p.m. BST / 9:30 a.m. EST / 3:30 p.m. local time
Venue: Allianz Arena, Munich
TV Info: Fox Soccer 2 (U.S. only), BT Sport Europe (UK only, on time delay starting Sunday at 00:15)
Live Stream: Fox Soccer 2Go (U.S. only)
Form Guide
| Bayern Munich | Cologne |
| Arsenal: Loss | Hannover: Loss |
| Werder Bremen: Win | Schalke: Win |
| Borussia Dortmund: Win | Ingolstadt: Draw |
| Dinamo Zagreb: Win | Hertha BSC: Loss |
| Mainz: Win | Monchengladbach: Win |
Predicted Lineups
Bayern Munich
Pep Guardiola will be without the services of Franck Ribery on Saturday as the Frenchman continues his recovery from an ankle injury. Sebastian Rode is still not quite fit, while Mario Gotze is unlikely to be back in action until after the winter break.
Possible Bayern Munich starting XI: Neuer; Lahm, Martinez, Boateng, Alaba; Vidal, Alonso, Thiago; Muller, Lewandowski, Costa.
Cologne
Stoger should have a near-full squad to choose from on Saturday, the exception being the still-rehabilitating Mergim Mavraj.
Possible Cologne starting XI: Horn; Olkowski, Sorensen, Heintz, Hector; Vogt, Gerhardt; Risse, Lehmann, Bittencourt; Modeste.
Players to Watch
Kingsley Coman is set to return to action for Bayern and could be a danger at least as a substitute, as could Arjen Robben. Still, the in-form men to watch in the Bayern attack should be Douglas Costa, Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller.
On the Cologne side, the form of Heintz, Jonas Hector and Timo Horn at the back may play a huge role in whether or not the visitors manage to take something from Saturday's match. Up front, Modeste may find himself with a one-man task to get on the scoresheet, but Bittencourt is also capable of threatening from the wing.
Key Battles
Thomas Muller vs. Jonas Hector
Last week, Muller was Bayern's hero as the Bundesliga leaders edged Werder Bremen 1-0. The attacking all-rounder will likely go head-to-head against his international colleague on the wing on Saturday. And again, if Bayern are in need for a goal, he'll be among the most likely sources to make the difference.
Hector is Cologne's only current Germany international, yet despite not playing in the Champions League, he appears to have solidified his role as a starter in the national team in the left-back position. He'll play a key role for the visitors in containing Bayern's attack on the wing.
Robert Lewandowski vs. Timo Horn
Lewandowski is in the midst of a "slump" by his standards, the Poland international having gone two games without a goal for the first time this season. The striker may have cooled off a bit, but he'll still be Bayern's most dangerous attacker. And a betting man would be wise not to wager against him scoring at least once or twice.
Born a year after Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Bernd Leno, and making his way in a Cologne side that has oscillated between the first and second divisions of German football, Horn perhaps hasn't always received the credit he's deserved. Yet the 22-year-old is a phenomenally talented goalkeeper. His form will be crucial to whether or not Cologne will stand a chance of taking anything from Saturday's game.
Odds (courtesy of Odds Shark)
Bayern: 100/759
Draw: 42/5
Cologne: 24/1
