Cologne take on Bayern Munich this Wednesday night at the RheinEnergieStadion, and to be honest, it’s a mountain to climb. The hosts have not beaten Bayern in over a decade, and with the visitors flying under Vincent Kompany, it’s looking like another long evening for the Billy Goats. Still, football’s beauty lies in surprises, and Cologne will cling to that hope.
Bayern, who recently beat Club Brugge 4–0 in the Champions League and edged Monchengladbach’s ten men in a comfortable 3–0 win, as reported by Softfootball, come into this with 16 straight wins across all competitions. They are not just winning; they are steamrolling. Kompany’s system looks balanced, ruthless, and, frankly, terrifying to play against.
For Cologne, it’s been rough lately. They have picked up only four points from their last five Bundesliga games and are still recovering from that gut-wrenching 96th-minute loss at Dortmund. No shots on target, no joy, no luck. And now Bayern. That’s football’s cruel sense of humour.
Team News
Cologne’s injury list remains long. Jan Thielmann, Luca Kilian (ACL), Rav van den Berg, and Timo Hübers are all sidelined, while Cenk Özkacar faces a late fitness test. Kilian’s absence in particular leaves them short of defensive options.
For Bayern, Jamal Musiala and Alphonso Davies remain out, but Kompany confirmed several key returns in his pre-match press conference that was shared on the club’s official X account:
Things are looking good. Raphaël Guerreiro is back to full fitness, with Josip Stanišić and Serge Gnabry also back. The squad is where it needs to be going into the next three games.
Sporting Director Christoph Freund added that young goalkeeper Jonas Urbíg will start, praising his development:
He’s already at a very high level at a young age… He’s on the perfect path right now.
Possible Lineups
Cologne (3-4-2-1): Schwabe; Ozkacar, Martel, Heintz; Lund, Huseinbasic, Johannesson, Sebulonsen; El Mala, Kaminski; Bulter.
Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Urbig; Bischof, Kim, Upamecano, Boey; Goretzka, Kimmich; Diaz, Gnabry, Olise; Jackson.
Softfootball’s Prediction
Kompany knows the dangers Cologne pose on the counter. He warned:
They are very alert and quick to close down space… incredibly dangerous on the break.
Still, Bayern’s depth and sharpness make them heavy favourites. Freund echoed that ambition:
Everyone wants to come back to Berlin — but we know we must earn it first.
Cologne will fight with spirit, but Bayern’s rhythm and quality should tell. Expect the visitors to control possession and punish defensive lapses late on.
Prediction: Cologne 0–3 Bayern Munich
