Two teams desperate for a win square off in a Bundesliga clash as Bayern Munich host FC Cologne at the Allianz Arena. Bayern need the win to fend off a fast-rising Leipzig team while Cologne are hoping to avoid getting dragged into a relegation scrap.
Bayern Munich are now looking over their shoulder with their lead at the top cut to just two points after a recent run of poor results. Following a disappointing 3-3 draw with struggling Arminia Bielefeld, they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Frankfurt last time out.
Hansi Flick's men washed off some of the stain of the Frankfurt defeat with a superb 4-1 Champions League victory at Lazio. Having taken full control of the round of 16 tie, they will now turn their attention to the Bundesliga and their title defence.
In truth, Bayern are still likely to win the title this season but have looked less assured this term and have not shown their usual dominance in the Bundesliga. With Leipzig breathing down their neck, Flick knows his team cannot afford any further careless slips.
One positive for Bayern is their solid home form as they are yet to taste defeat at the Allianz Arena this season. They head into Saturday’s match with four wins in their last five home matches.
Cologne recently climbed out of the bottom three and finally appeared to have some positive momentum. However, a run of back-to-back defeats has stalled their progress as they now sit just three points above the relegation zone.
Markus Gisdol's men followed up a 2-0 loss at Frankfurt with a 1-0 home defeat against Stuttgart last time out. They were fairly wretched in those two defeats, managing just one attempt on target in both games.
As relegation rivals Arminia Bielefeld showed with their draw against Bayern Munich, things can easily change in the Bundesliga. This means that Cologne, just like the champions, can afford no more slip ups.
How the bookies view it
As expected, all the bookies have Bayern Munich as overwhelming favourites with BetVictor offering a measly 2/11 for a home win. A victory for Cologne is valued at 31/2 with SBK, who are also offering 36/5 for a draw.
With Bayern Munich wounded and desperate for a Bundesliga win, I am backing the champions to run riot against Cologne.
Head to head
Bayern Munich have the upper hand against Cologne with 48 wins from 93 previous matches. Cologne have claimed 21 victories while both teams have battled to a draw 24 times.
Recent matches have all skewed one way with Bayern winning the last six meetings. The Bavarians claimed a 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture back on October with Serge Gnabry and Thomas Muller getting their goals.
Players to watch
Bayern’s Thomas Muller and Serge Gnabry are both set to miss Saturday’s match so all eyes will be on top scorer Robert Lewandowski. The striker is priced at 8/25 by Sporting Index to score anytime while the first goal is valued at 39/20 by Unibet.
Nigerian striker Emmanuel Dennis is still seeking his first goal for Cologne since joining in January. He will be hoping for better service on Saturday and is priced at 15/1 by Sporting Index in the anytime goalscorer market.
Anything else catch the eye?
Bayern Munich are always a good bet for goals and have seen over 3.5 goals in three of their last four home matches. SBK is offering 6/7 for a similar outcome on Saturday.
With bookies offering minimal odds for a Bayern victory a win/goals combination could offer some value. Betway are backing the Bavarians at 21/20 to secure a home win and over 3.5 goals on Saturday.
Given Robert Lewandowski’s goalscoring record and Cologne’s leaky defence, the striker could be backed to score more than once on Saturday. Sporting Index has the Polish international at 77/50 to score two or more goals while a hat-trick is worth 11/2 with the same firm.
This German Bundesliga match between Bayern Munich and FC Cologne will be played on Feb 27, 2021 and kick off at 14:30. Check below for our tipsters best Bayern Munich vs FC Cologne prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.