'We need to get out of this rut'

Most of the Bayern stars left the Allianz Arena on Saturday evening in a hurry and without saying a word. The collective sense of dismay was simply too great after the afternoon's unexpected and avoidable 2-1 defeat to FC Köln. The champions' third reverse in four matches since the winter break means they yet again miss out on going top of the Bundesliga standings.

"We're disappointed. A win would have put us top of the table," chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge lamented as another chance to take first place slipped by. "But we've also been lucky, as our rivals are still only just ahead of us," Rummenigge continued. "It can all change in the space of a single weekend."