FC Bayern face 1. FC Köln on Wednesday evening (live text and free Web Radio commentary from 20:30 CET on fcbayern.com and in the FC Bayern app) to wrap up the first half of the season. A win would see the German record champions complete the best Hinrunde in Bundesliga history. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game in our preview.
The best pictures from Tuesday's final training session:
Latest news from FC Bayern
The Munich men impressively demonstrated in the first game of the year against VfL Wolfsburg that even the two-week winter break would not affect their current form. With an 8-1 thrashing of the Wolves, Vincent Kompany's side extended their lead over closest rivals Borussia Dortmund to 11 points – the biggest gap between first and second place at this stage of a Bundesliga season ever. Can Bayern build on this in Cologne? "What the lads showed on Sunday is not normal, we mustn't forget that," said Kompany, adding a bit of perspective. "But the motivation is there, we want to see how far we can go with this form."
The facts on the clash with Köln:
However, according to Kompany, an away game in Cologne is no easy task, as was evident from the encounter at the same venue in the second round of the DFB Cup. The 4-1 victory in October was a difficult affair for most of the game, according to the head coach: "It took until the end to make the difference." After a full calendar year without an away defeat in the Bundesliga – only the third time in the club's history after 1986 and 2013 – the Bavarians are determined not to let their run come to an end in the Cathedral City and are approaching the away game accordingly. "If we lose, we'll have given something away. For the opponents, that will feel like winning a title," Kompany warned: "But I don't want to give anything away, that's a huge motivation!"
Read the key statements from the pre-match press conference here:
The opposition: 1. FC Köln
17 points after 16 games, 11th in the table – at first glance, 1. FC Köln's current record looks respectable for a newly-promoted team. However, the truth is that the Rhinelanders picked up most of those points in the autumn – since their 4-1 victory over Hamburger SV at the beginning of November, Köln have gone seven Bundesliga games without a win (three draws, four defeats). Lukas Kwasniok's side showed that their current dip in form has nothing to do with a lack of motivation when they fought back from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw at Heidenheim last time out. "The lads are working just as hard as they did at the start of the season. There's no difference in their approach, the team is working brilliantly," said the Köln coach.
However, if they're to put their current bad run behind them, Köln will have to overcome another streak on Wednesday evening: FC Bayern have not lost to the Billy Goats in almost 15 years or 21 competitive matches (19 wins, two draws). "We know it'll be a challenge," said Kwasniok. Just like in the cup a few months ago, the Cathedral City side intend to approach the match with courage: "We'll play with a high back line again. If you sit back for 90 minutes against Bayern, it becomes very difficult," explained the 44-year-old. His team will give everything "to somehow hurt FC Bayern".
The lowdown on Köln:
Team news
As Kompany confirmed on Friday, the game comes a bit too soon for Joshua Kimmich and Jamal Musiala, who are both still doing their rehab. The coach will also have to do without Josip Stanišić, who suffered a capsular ligament injury to his right ankle on Sunday, and Nicolas Jackson, who is playing in the Africa Cup of Nations. Serge Gnabry, Sacha Boey and Alphonso Davies were recently absent due to illness and are therefore also doubtful for the match against Köln.
In addition to the suspended Eric Martel and Rav van den Berg, Köln will also be without the injured Luca Kilian (cruciate ligament rupture), Timo Hübers (knee), Joël Schmied (muscular issues) and Dominique Heintz (adductor).
Put your knowledge of the upcoming Bundesliga fixture to the test in our Matchday Quiz:
What the coaches say
We feel that we can always score goals as a team. We'll take that with us into the match, of course.
Vincent Kompany
The task is incredibly difficult because Bayern and their coach are currently approaching every game with an incredible mindset. 16 teams have tried to beat Bayern so far, and none have succeeded.
Lukas Kwasniok (1. FC Köln coach)
Olise & Díaz put on a show in the last game to remind us of a legendary Bayern duo:
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