Bayern Munich overcame FC Köln 2-0 at the Allianz Arena to ensure that Bayer Leverkusen will need to win if they are to earn their first Bundesliga title on Sunday afternoon at home to Werder Bremen.
However, while Der Rekordmeister returned to winning ways after three consecutive games without victory in all competitions, they were far from convincing against a relegation-threatened Köln. With chances opening up for the Billygoats in both halves, they failed to punish Bayern despite registering eleven shots and one big chance.
However, the visitors will feel most frustrated by the late chance missed by Steffen Tigges. A careless mistake by Dayot Upamecano in the 89th minute offered Luca Waldschmidt the chance to level, but his strike was deflected to Tigges, who, from 20 yards out, had half an open goal to aim at.
Nevertheless, his effort fell too close to that of Sven Ulreich, who was able to deny Köln a late equaliser. Then, to rub salt into the Köln wounds, just seconds later, Waldschmidt’s mix-up at the back saw Thomas Müller double Bayern’s lead and condemn the visitors to defeat.
Regardless, the record champions were far from scintillating, highlighting that their home tie against Arsenal in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final clash will not be straightforward. As well as this, they will be without several key players.
It was announced earlier in the week that Serge Gnabry will be out for the foreseeable future with a hamstring injury, while Leroy Sané will not be fit to feature for a full 90 minutes. However, against Köln, Kingsley Coman was withdrawn with what appeared to be a non-contact injury to his thigh.
While the extent of his injury is not yet known, it seems highly likely that the Frenchman will not play a role on Wednesday evening after being unable to apply any weight to his right leg. Nevertheless, three points in the Bundesliga will be important to Thomas Tuchel after falling to defeat in their previous two league games.
A phenomenal strike from Raphaël Guerreiro will also provide additional positives, with the Portuguese fullback likely to start in the absence of Alphonso Davies. With Arsenal awaiting, Bayern will need to replicate their performance from Tuesday evening and forget their display at home to Köln if they are to progress to the semi-finals.
GGFN | Will Shopland
