Koln take on the visitors Bayern Munich in the round 1/16-finals of DFB Pokal. The match will be played on Wednesday, October 29th at RheinEnergieStadion (Cologne).
Cologne have been struggling in recent matches. The Billy Goats are one of Germany’s most beloved clubs, but not among its most successful in recent years. They recently qualified for the Europa Conference League but failed to make an impression there — and by spring 2024, they were relegated to the second division. However, the arrival of coach Kwasniok changed their fortunes. Under his guidance, the team immediately earned promotion back to the Bundesliga and began the new campaign with wins over Mainz (1-0 away) and Freiburg (4-1 at home), also advancing past Jahn Regensburg in the cup. But after that bright start, they added just one more victory — against Hoffenheim. Draws with Wolfsburg and Augsburg, and defeats to RB Leipzig and Stuttgart, followed. In the last round, they put up a fight in Dortmund but still lost 0-1. Cologne have shown discipline and effort but clearly lack finishing power. Their defense remains compact, yet individual mistakes keep costing them crucial points against stronger teams.
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Bayern Munich endured a nightmare season two years ago, finishing without a single trophy. They then appointed Vincent Kompany as head coach — a risky choice given his mixed results at Anderlecht and Burnley. Yet in Germany, he quickly achieved the main goal, reclaiming the Bundesliga title, though last season Bayern were again limited to just the “Silver Salad Bowl” after exiting all other competitions, including the Club World Cup. This time, however, they look unstoppable — winning every match since lifting the German Super Cup. A week ago, in the Champions League, they demolished Brugge in another dominant display. And in the last league round in Mönchengladbach, they scored multiple times again while keeping a clean sheet. Interestingly, they had a scare in the cup against Wehen in summer, conceding a late equalizer before Kane’s stoppage-time winner sealed it 3-2. Bayern’s attack looks ruthless, with confidence growing from match to match. They’re creating huge scoring chances almost at will, and their defensive structure has tightened significantly since August.
In their last thirteen meetings, the Billy Goats have managed just one draw, though they did beat the champions in a friendly match. The visitors are vastly superior and should demonstrate it once again here. The smart bet is on the Munich giants to win with a (-1.5) handicap.
Prediction for the match: Bayern Munich to win with -1.5 handicap.
