Cologne vs. Bayern Munich: Winners and Losers from Bundesliga
Bayern Munich head into the international break on a positive note thanks to their 1-0 victory away to Cologne in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
Clearly fatigued following their 120-minute marathon against Juventus in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 just three days prior, the Bavarian giants at times struggled.
Cologne put up stiff resistance, making the match a nail-biter until the very end. Yet Robert Lewandowski's opener on 10 minutes put Pep Guardiola's side in the driver's seat and was ultimately enough to see Bayern through to victory.
The result ensures they will enter the international break with no less than a five-point lead atop the table.
Following Saturday's match, Bleacher Report reviews the action and picks out the winners and losers.
Winner: Robert Lewandowski
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Lewandowski scored for the third consecutive game on Saturday, following the strike that started Bayern's midweek comeback against Juventus and his effort against Werder Bremen a week ago.
His opener against Cologne was a real beauty. With almost no time to react as the ball came to his feet, he noticed Timo Horn a bit out of position and fired home a curling effort with his first touch.
Lewandowski's goal was a strike that took all the precision of a sniper. It also saw him equal his career-best season goals tally with his 36th of the campaign.
In the context of the game, it took the pressure off a weary-legged Bayern early and took away the impetus to press on and score more. Without the early goal, Bayern could well have been held to a draw or even lost to a Cologne side that looked up to the task.
Loser: Dominique Heintz
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Dominique Heintz emerged as one of the 2. Bundesliga's best centre-backs last season and has generally had a good Bundesliga campaign in 2015-16, but he made a costly error on Saturday that put his side on the back foot.
When the ball came to him in his own penalty area on 10 minutes, the 22-year-old failed to keep it at his feet and clear, instead passing the ball straight to Lewandowski. The Bayern striker pounced on his chance to score and broke the deadlock with aplomb.
That was Heintz's only significant mistake of the match. He otherwise played his role well, but it did prove to be costly.
Winner: Manuel Neuer
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Cologne's strategy of playing long balls to Anthony Modeste and playing off the striker's hold-up role was quite effective, yet Manuel Neuer made the difference whenever the hosts looked like carving out a real chance on goal.
The "sweeper-keeper" was quick off his line more than once to snuff out danger and positioned himself perfectly to eliminate the hosts' threat as they pressed for a last-gasp equalizer. After disappointing in midweek, Neuer returned to action on Saturday with confidence.
Winner: Carlo Ancelotti
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Carlo Ancelotti is still a few months away from beginning his tenure as Bayern head coach and is already a winner. Why? With their win on Saturday, Bayern became the second club to ensure its spot in the 2016-17 Champions League, following Paris Saint-Germain last week.
It may have seemed a foregone conclusion, but success isn't attained until it indeed is mathematically guaranteed. As it stands, Pep Guardiola is probably still biting his nails over the situation at his future club, Manchester City.
The Citizens are teetering on the brink of falling out of the Premier League's top four—and with it, a spot in next season's Champions League playoff. Their participation in Europe's elite club football tournament next season is far from secure.
Although Guardiola may have some sleepless nights in store, Ancelotti and Bayern can rest assured they will certainly be in the Champions League next season.
