F. Zwayer
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90'
+ 2
BAYERN RETURN TOP, WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN FOR COLOGNE
Certainly a game of two halves in Cologne after Bayern's dominant opening period. It's the first time ever that Bayern have been 3-0 up away from home inside 12 minutes in the Bundesliga and it could have been many more. The home side then produced their own dominant display in the second half but let Gnabry grab a second while they themselves missed a host of big chances. Bayern return top of the pile, while Cologne are still hovering dangerously close to the drop zone.
Full-time
88'
MODESTE WITH ANOTHER HUGE CHANCE!
The substitute is found in front of goal once again and takes time to compose himself before shooting at goal from inside the box. But once again Neuer produces a stunning save to keep the ball out with his feet. The home side could possibly even be level here with the amount of chances they have missed.
86'
MODESTE WITH A BIG CHANCE
The substitute is perfectly placed in front of goal and is found by Uth after a silky run and tidy pass. But Modeste's shot goes straight at Neuer from close range. Either side and it would be a second goal for Cologne...
82'
STILL BATTLING
The home side still haven't given up on this game here but at 4-1, the margin looks too big now to pull back in the short time remaining. No matter what, their second half performance has been very impressive.
81'
Substitution
79'
Substitution
78'
WHAT A CHANCE FOR CORDOBA
That would have really made things interesting. Cordoba is running at goal with Alaba battling with him for the ball. The Cologne striker holds him off with pure strength and he shoots at goal from close range, but Neuer stays big and makes an important save.
72'
Substitution
71'
GNABRY SHOULD HAVE THREE!
He'll be very disappointed not to have completed his hat-trick. Coman crosses into the box from the left wing and Müller meets it but instead of shooting, he flicks the ball back behind him to perfectly set-up Gnabry. He curls a shot at goal from the penalty spot, but it fires wide of the mark.
70'
UTH FINDS THE NET!
He doesn't miss his chance this time. Great work from Cordoba in the build-up as he brings the ball across the pitch before playing Kainz in behind the Bayern defence on the left. He looks up to see Uth at the back post and his pass is perfectly placed for him to poke home beyond Neuer.
69'
UTH STINGS THE PALMS OF NEUER
Great chance for a break as the home side power forward with a 3-on-2. Uth has the ball and has space ahead of him with the Bayern defenders marking his teammates. He therefore decides to go for goal at the near post, but Neuer is able to push the rasping shot away.
66'
FANTASTIC GOAL FROM GNABRY
Thiago finds Davies who then plays Gnabry the ball on the left wing. He quickly darts inside one, two, three defenders before reaching the edge of the Cologne box and then smashing a curled shot past Horn with a fantastic finish. Just when Cologne had built up hope of coming back...
61'
CHANCES FOR COLOGNE
Kainz sends a through ball forward for Uth to chance onto. He has a race to the ball with Neuer and loses by inches but the ball then falls to Drexler at the halfway line and he smashes it towards goal with Neuer still out, but it bounces well wide in the end. The home fans are loving this though. Their side are producing plenty of challenges and forcing the game on Bayern.
59'
TOLISSO ON
Flick looking for more defensive structure in midfield, perhaps. Tolisso comes on for Kimmich before the hour mark.
59'
Substitution
55'
GOOOO... NO!
Cordoba has the ball in the Bayern net again, but once again it's offside which gets in the home side's way. This time Kainz volleys the ball at goal from the left side of the box and it falls to Cordoba in front of goal to tap home, but he was clearly offside when the shot was taken. Much to the frustration of the home crowd and players.
54'
GNABRY FIRES WIDE
Müller runs the ball into the box but loses possession. It's cleared back to Thiago, who fires a pass over to Gnabry on the left side of the box and he moves the ball onto his left foot to fire a shot at goal. It goes just wide of the mark with Bayern's first effort of the second half.
51'
COLOGNE ON FIRE TO START
It looks like there are 11 different players out on the pitch here in the second half for Cologne. They are happy to keep possession and are working hard for one another to do so. Cordoba is battling in attack and causing problems for the Bayern defence with high pressing. Making Bayern work for this, still.
47'
CORDOBA GOAL RULED OUT
Cologne almost have the perfect response after the break but it's ruled out by VAR. The ball breaks in the box with Kainz and it falls to Skhiri, who in turn passes across for Cordoba to finish beyond Neuer - but Skhiri was in an offside position when the ball came off Kainz towards him.
46'
Substitution
46'
SituationGoal
ReviewOffside?
DecisionNo goal
46'
BACK UNDERWAY
We're back for the second half here in Cologne and Lucas Hernandez is on in place of Jerome Boateng at half-time.
Kick-off!
45'
+ 4
PURE DOMINANCE FROM BAYERN
Hansi Flick's side clearly want to go top of the league once again while making a statement to their rivals today. Three goals inside the opening 12 minutes - a Bundesliga first since January 1873 when Rot-Weiß Oberhausen managed it. They've had 18 shots at goal in total compared to just one for the home side. Müller has been the star so far with his two assists but it's the entire Bayern squad playing out of their skin.
Half-time
45'
+ 3
MÜLLER JUST OVER
Fantastic play from Coman who cuts inside and out past Jakobs before laying the ball off for Müller. He fires at goal, meeting the ball on the run, but it blazes just wide of the mark.
43'
BORNAUW STANDING FIRM
The young Cologne centre-back shows some good fighting spirit to keep Lewandowski at bay as he races into the box with the ball. It's not been the best day defensively for Cologne, but some bright sparks are coming through.
40'
NO MERCY FROM BAYERN
The league leaders aren't slowing down at all here. They've had 16 shots at goal already with five of those on target. The pressure being applied on the Cologne defence across the attack from Coman, Müller, Gnabry and Lewandowski is outstanding.
36'
OFF THE POST FROM KIMMICH!
The Germany international takes a strike at goal from distance with so much time and space ahead of him. It's bouncing towards goal in a nightmare way for Horn but he does superbly to get fingertips to it and push it onto his post. Boateng then has the rebound blocked. It's the 16th time Bayern have hit the woodwork this season, and second today.
33'
MAGIC OF MÜLLER
The Bayern legend has 14 assists this season. Only Kevin de Bruyne has more this season in Europe's top five leagues and it's Müller's career-best already, and the most any player has had at this stage of a Bundesliga season.
29'
GNABRY... INCREDIBLE MISS!
It should be four goals for Bayern, three assists for Müller and two goals for Gnabry. The winger is played in by Müller from the left and he takes the ball around Horn as he goes wide of goal. He hits the ball goalwards while falling to his left and it lofts up onto the crossbar and back out despite the goal being wide open. Should have, would have, could have for Gnabry.
28'
Substitution
26'
STUNNED BY BAYERN
In the first 12 minutes of this game Cologne conceded as many goals as they had in their last five home games under Marks Gisdol. And now Noah Katterbach is down and looks unlikely to be able to continue.
24'
COMAN RIFLES WIDE
A corner swings in from Kimmich and is cleared only as far as Coman who meets the ball on the bounce. But he doesn't get the best connection and the ball bounces wide of Horn's goal.
20'
GNABRY GOES CLOSE AGAIN
Lovely work from Thiago, Coman and Gnabry. This Spaniard starts the move with a flicked pass out wide to Coman who then crosses to the back post of the Cologne box where Gnabry is waiting. He nods the ball down in front of Thiago who has continued his run, but his slices his shot wide of goal.
15'
COLOGNE STRUGGLES
A stat to tell you how poorly this game has gone so far for the home side: Timo Horn is leading his side in terms of touches of the ball. He's currently on 10, the only player in double figures for Cologne.
13'
BAYERN COMING OUT OF THE BLOCKS
The away side have scored their 10th, 11th and 12th goals in the opening quarter of an hour of games today. It's the best total of any Bundesliga side this season and Lewandowski himself has scored six of those.
12'
GNABRY MAKES IT THREE
It's his fifth goal in as many games against Cologne and the third already today. He collects and attempted cross into the box at the back post and his first touch is loose, but he recovers to touch the ball past a closing defender before smashing the ball into the far bottom corner giving no chance to Horn.
8'
HOME FANS WITH EARLY WORK
The Cologne players look stunned out on the pitch. Coming up against Bayern can always be difficult, but they would not have planned or expected to be two goals behind this early and the home fans know it. They are singing their hearts out in an attempt to inspire their side.
7'
ALMOST THREE ALREADY!
Kimmich is afforded so much time and space on the edge of the Cologne box and he curls a shot at goal with his left. Horn saves and the rebound falls to Gnabry but it gets stuck under his feet and he's only able to put it wide.
5'
COMAN MAKES IT TWO!
Another assist for Müller and the King is back for Bayern! It's Davies who plays a ball into the box for Lewandowski to control, and he immediately moves it on to Müller. The 'Raumdeuter' does what he does best by playing it back across to Coman in front of goal and he slots the ball under Horn.
3'
LEWANDOWSKI ALREADY!
It's all too simple for Bayern and the defending champions are emphatically ahead already. Müller plays a neat pass beyond Bornauw who had stepped out of defence to close him down for Lewandowski to chase onto into the box with space ahead of him. He opens his body and finds the roof of the net with a tidy finish for his 23rd goal of the season.
1'
AND WE'RE UNDERWAY!
The ball is rolling in Cologne with the heat certainly warming up. It's 18 degrees in Cologne today... Spring has certainly arrived.
Kick-off!
LOUD AND PROUD HOME FANS
The home support are providing us with an incredible rendition of their famous club song "Mer stonn zo dir" and the atmosphere in the stadium here in Cologne is at fever-pitch. No matter the result today, we can be sure that the home side will be supported from the first second to the last.
50 UP FOR GNABRY
Serge Gnabry will make his 50th Bundesliga appearance for Bayern today. And with four goals in four games against Cologne, it could be a fun one for the winger.
AT THE HOME OF JHON
Cologne striker Jhon Cordoba is the club's top scorer this season with seven goals, all of which have come in the last six matches at home. Today he can become the first player to score in six consecutive Bundesliga home games for the Billy Goats since Klaus Allofs in 1984. It's worth noting that Cordoba also has two goals in four appearances against Bayern... is today going to be his day once again at the RheinEnergieStadion?
THE HOME SIDE AS EXPECTED
A blowout defeat to Dortmund aside and Cologne have been one of the most in-form teams in the Bundesliga in recent weeks. Five wins in their last six games while scoring three or more goals on three occasions. The Billy Goats will have their work cut out to get a similar result today against Bayern, but the side that Markus Gisdol has put out has no surprises.
COMAN RETURNS!
Bayern's French wing wizard is back for the first time since Matchday 14 after he suffered a knee injury. He starts for the first time in 2020 on the left wing, joining Serge Gnabry in supporting Robert Lewandowski in attack. Otherwise it's as expected for Bayern with the in-form Alphonso Davies fit to start at left-back.
COLOGNE STARTING XI!
Horn - Ehizibue, Bornauw, Czichos, Katterbach - Skhiri, Hector (c) - Drexler, Uth, Jakobs - Cordoba
COLOGNE SUBS:
Krahl, Schmitz, Höger, Terodde, Rexhbecaj, Modeste, Thielmann, Kainz, Leistner
BAYERN STARTING XI!
Neuer (c) - Pavard, Boateng, Alaba, Davies - Kimmich, Thiago - Gnabry, Müller, Coman - Lewandowski
BAYERN SUBS:
Ulreich, Odriozola, Hernandez, Coutinho, Cuisance, Goretzka, Tolisso, Zirkzee
Welcome along to the match centre for the game Köln vs. FC Bayern from matchday 22 of the 2019/20 Bundesliga season at the RheinEnergieSTADION. Check back here for full information on the match.