FC Köln vs. Bayern Munich preview: The Bavarians need some help
Shockingly, a win against Köln on Matchday 34 may still not be enough in the title race for Bayern, who will be keeping their eyes up north in Dortmund to end this crazy Bundesliga campaign.
FC Köln
It will be an emotional end to the season for the Billy Goats as captain Jonas Hector is set to end his career at the RheinEnergieStadion on Saturday. Köln don’t exactly have much to play for, but they would love nothing more to get a result against Bayern and help Dortmund in their title quest.
This will also be goalkeeper Timo Horn’s last game with the club, but Marvin Schwäbe will start ahead of him. Köln haven’t defeated Bayern in league play since 2011, having failed to claim all three points in their last 17 meetings.
In his press conference, Steffen Baumgart said, "Because the title hasn't been decided, we'll play with the strongest line-up. - I am really happy for Salih (Özcan) and Tony (Modeste), that they've worked hard for the chance to win the title. I had a big influence on both of them for a while - fortunately."
Team News
Baumgart confirmed that Tim Lemperle will play in Steffen Tigges’ absence, while Sargis Adamyan is out for the season. Florian Dietz and Mark Uth remain unavailable.
Bayern Munich
Bayern obviously need to win and pray that Mainz can get a result in Dortmund. Last weekend’s loss to Leipzig was devastating for the club, who may be forced to end the season without a trophy for the first time in recent memory.
The record champions easily lead BVB on goal difference, so they’ll only require Mainz to claim a point. But, Bayern must deal with business first against Köln in what could be the last game for the likes of Yann Sommer, Joao Cancelo, and even Benjamin Pavard.
Thomas Tuchel commented, "It's our duty to give everything until the very end. We can't stop running, regardless of what's happening elsewhere. When you work for FC Bayern, you have to give your all until the final whistle blows."
Team News
Manuel Neuer, Lucas Hernandez, Alphonso Davies, and Paul Wanner are out. Tuchel stated that Eric Choupo-Moting will be in the squad this weekend.