After a remarkable result on Tuesday against Lazio in the Champions League, Bayern Munich will be looking to get the domestic campaign back on track. The German Champions will be looking to get back to winning ways against FC Koln on Saturday.
Die Roten delivered two poor performances in the league last week. The draw against Arminia Bielefeld and defeat against Eintracht Frankfurt have reduced Bayern’s lead at the top of the table to three points. Nothing less than victory on Saturday should be on Die Roten’s agenda. Here is the possible starting XI that could help Rekordmeister in getting the victory against FC Koln.
Who is available for Saturday’s clash?
Flick received a big boost this week as Thomas Muller and Serge Gnabry returned to first-team training. Both German forwards will be included in the squad that will face Koln. Benjamin Pavard needs to spend few more days in quarantine after being tested positive for coronavirus last weekend.
Douglas Costa and Alexander Nubel continue to recover from serious injuries that they suffered earlier this month. Nianzou Kouassi remains a few weeks away from complete match fitness after a long lay off due to a muscle injury. Corentin Tolisso is the long-term absentee for the German Champions.
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Predicted Starting XI against FC Koln
Manuel Neuer would be annoyed after a poor goal was conceded by his defense against Lazio. Since the CWC final two weeks ago, the German goalkeeper is yet to get a clean sheet beside his name. Neuer will be hoping to break an end to this run on Sunday against Koln.
Flick is likely to stick with Niklas Sule in the full-back and center-back hybrid role after he did well against Lazio. In the heart of the defense, Jerome Boateng and David Alaba continue to feature. Alphonso Davies might get a rest on Saturday, which will allow Lucas Hernandez to play in the left-back position.
It was not a big surprise that Die Roten’s performance improved drastically on Tuesday when the first-choice midfield pairing was available for selection. Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka delivered a very efficient performance in Rome. The German duo is likely to start against Koln on Saturday.
Jamal Musiala is likely to keep his place in the team despite the return of Muller. The youngster was lethal against Lazio, so starting him against Koln would be a good idea. Muller and Gnabry can get minutes from the bench. Kingsley Coman and Leroy Sane will start on the flanks, while Robert Lewandowski will be the focal point of the attack.
"NeuerSule-Boateng-Alaba-HernandezKimmich-GoretzkaSane-Musiala-ComanLewandowski"