Cologne – Bayern Munich

The home team will put in a respectable performance against the Bundesliga leaders.

In the current season, Cologne has resumed competing at the top level of German football after a year in the 2. Bundesliga. In addition, in the summer the team changed its head coach, appointing Lukasz Kwasnyok to such a responsible post, who had previously coached Paderborn for four years. Given that the goats did not win convincingly in the second division, there was enough risk of a collapse in the Bundesliga season. At the same time, by the end of the first half of the calendar year, Cologne was fairly solid in the top league, occupying eleventh place and having a five-point cushion over the last club in the direct relegation zone. Bayern this season is performing triumphantly. If the German champion maintains current form, it will not only defend the Bundesliga title but also, like last year’s PSG, win the main European trophy. In all competitions of the 2025/2026 season, Bayern has played 26 matches, winning 23. The Munich club’s only defeat was in London at the hands of no less fiery Arsenal. Bookmakers have identified the visitors as favorites for the upcoming match, offering odds of 1.26 on their victory. Despite everything, the match in Cologne does not promise Bayern an easy life. In this Bundesliga campaign, the goats have not lost by more than two goals to anyone, and at home have never conceded more than one goal. Indeed, only Bayern last year beat Cologne by a margin of three goals, but that happened in the national cup. The goats returned after the winter break with a draw at Heidenheim. It is worth noting that, in terms of shots and goal-scoring opportunities, Cologne performed better than their opponent. Bayern hammered Wolfsburg a few days ago. The 8–1 scoreline in Munich reflects not only Bayern’s undeniable strength but also Wolfsburg’s obvious weakness, who at the end of last year changed their head coach. The match in Cologne will not be as easy for Kompany’s charges. First, it will take place at a packed away stadium. Second, two full days after the Cologne meeting Bayern have a match in Leipzig, and another three full days after that they are to play in the Champions League. Kompany will be forced to distribute the workload among the players. Let’s place a cautious bet in favor of the home side.