FC Bayern Women out to crack Köln defence

Five days on from their thriller at Bayer Leverkusen, FC Bayern Women now have a home game in the Google Pixel Bundesliga as they welcome Köln to the FC Bayern Campus on Saturday (2pm CEST) for Matchday 5. It’s a clash between the teams sitting in second and fourth place coming into the weekend. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game in our preview.

🎟️ Head here for tickets for next week’s Champions League match against Manchester City. Applications for the Real Madrid and Barcelona ties can be made here.

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Linda Dallmann and Bayern are ready for their third home game of the campaign. | © FC Bayern / Eva Dippold

Bayern twice went behind in Leverkusen on Monday, but they hit back each time through Vanessa Gilles and Edna Imade, before Alara’s winner in the 88th minute. The result kept the Munich Frauen perfect in this still nascent Bundesliga campaign and extended their division record of unbeaten games to 46.

The domestic double winners boast an unbeaten record against Saturday’s opponents, having won all 16 previous Bundesliga meetings with Köln. Bayern also have a division-leading nine different goalscorers this season, followed by the Billy Goats with seven. Gilles has found the net in each of the last three league outings – as many as in her previous 14 Bundesliga appearances combined.

Alara scored a late winner in Leverkusen just like she’d done two years ago. | © FC Bayern / Eva Dippold

Opponent: Köln

The Cologne club come to Munich with ever increasing confidence. Since their opening 2-0 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt, they’ve beaten Hoffenheim, Mainz and Union Berlin without conceding a single goal. Britta Carlson’s side therefore boast the best defence in the Bundesliga with only two goals against them. Three consecutive clean sheets and a total of nine points from four games are both new club records.

Köln were busy in the summer transfer market and strengthened with the signings of Beke Sterner, Laureta Elmazi, Sophie Nachtigall and former Bayern defender Kathrin Hendrich.

Franziska Kett made her first Bundesliga appearance of the season last Monday in Leverkusen.

Team news

Head coach José Barcala is without Stine Ballisager (hamstring), Lena Oberdorf (knee), Magdalena Eriksson (knee) and Regina van Eijk (ankle). Bernadette Amani is a doubt, but Anna Klink is back in the squad after her broken hand.

Ena Mahmutovic is looking for a clean sheet against Köln. | © FC Bayern / Eva Dippold

Pre-match thoughts

José Barcala: “Köln are in very good form. They’ve won three games in a row, scoring eight goals and not conceding any against difficult opponents like Hoffenheim and Union Berlin. They’re very aggressive in their defending and like to press one-v-one. We need to move the game quickly and be very precise in our positional play. We need a very good performance on the whole to get a result against Köln.”

Ena Mahmutovic: “Köln are a good team and have won three games in a row. They press really well, have good players and have played good games so far. We’re prepared and know what to expect. We’ve got our game plan that we want to follow. I’m positive we can play a good game.”

🎟️ Head here for tickets for next week’s Champions League match against Manchester City. Applications for the Real Madrid and Barcelona ties can be made here.