Bayern Munich: Three things to watch for in home match against Köln

Bayern Munich hosts FC Köln at the Allianz Arena on Saturday as they look to get back to winning ways in the Bundesliga. After dropping points in their last two Bundesliga fixtures, Die Roten are feeling the pressure from second-place RB Leipzig who are just two points behind the defending champions in the table.

After defeating Koln on Matchday Six, Bayern will be favorited to win as they look to make it two wins against the club from North Rhine-Westphalia. Here are three things to watch for ahead of Saturday’s match.

Musiala to start again?

Jamal Musiala made the most of his appearance in the starting 11 against Lazio. Just a few days before his 18th birthday he scored his first-ever UEFA Champions League goal and played a role in Bayern’s dominance of the opening leg.

With Thomas Muller not yet available for selection, Musiala could very well be in the starting 11 once more this week on Saturday. His goal and performance against Lazio certainly help his case for being named as a starter against Köln. Having only started two matches in the Bundesliga this season, it would be great to see him getting more minutes as a member of the starting 11.

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Bayern need a victory

Bayern could really use a victory in this one as Leipzig are inching closer to them in the table. A loss would see Leipzig overtake Bayern if they are victorious in their match against Borussia Mönchengladbach.

If Köln are able to force a draw, then Leipzig and Bayern would be level on points if they defeat Mönchengladbach. With the Der Klassiker taking place next weekend, it’s imperative that Bayern get all three points against Köln. Tough tests still await on the Bundesliga schedule and they need to win these matches against the lower half of the table clubs.

Lewandowski looks to move closer to Bundesliga record

Robert Lewandowski enters this match with 26 goals in the Bundesliga so far this season. Just 15 more goals are needed for the Polish striker to set a new single-season record in the German top flight for goals scored. He hasn’t registered a multi-goal performance in the Bundesliga since Matchday 14 when he scored two goals against Mainz.

With 12 matches remaining for Bayern in the Bundesliga, Lewandowski will need to register a few more multi-goal performances if he is going to set the record. For this reason, a multi-goal performance against Köln would be a massive help in getting him closer to the record.