Bayern Munich: Five things to watch for against FC Koln

Bayern Munich travels to Koln in search of their first victory of 2022. After a narrow 2-1 defeat to Borussia Monchengladbach, Bayern will be looking to avoid a second consecutive defeat which could see their lead atop the table further diminished. Here are five things to watch for ahead of Saturday’s match.

Robert Lewandowski nearing 300 Bundesliga goals

Lewandowski is nearing another milestone in his Bundesliga career. Entering Saturday’s match, the striker needs just three more goals to reach 300 career goals in the Bundesliga. His goal last week against Monchengladbach increased his current career total to 297 goals.

Having scored six goals in his last four appearances against Koln, Lewandowski will certainly be one of the players who could be impactful on Saturday. The Bayern striker continues to lead the Bundesliga in goal scoring with 20 goals already scored this season. In his last five Bundesliga appearances, Lewandowski has scored six goals.

Anthony Modeste scoring goals consistently

Koln has won three consecutive league matches and Modeste has played a prominent role in helping his club achieve these victories. The striker has scored four goals in his last three appearances which has increased his season goal total to 12 goals in 18 appearances. He currently is fourth in the top scorer standings. The last time Koln faced Bayern, Modeste scored a second-half goal in the 3-2 defeat.

Away fixtures winning streak

Bayern has won seven consecutive away fixtures against Koln. The last time they lost an away fixture to Koln was during the 2010/11 season when they were defeated 3-2.

Koln has lost just one home fixture so far this season and five of their seven wins have come from home fixtures. With Koln performing well at home it could be a difficult challenge for Bayern to register another win in Koln.

Serge Gnabry nearing his tenth goal of the season

Gnabry has played very well against Koln and his tenth goal of the Bundesliga season could be recorded on Saturday. The Bayern player scored three goals in two appearances against Koln last season and scored two goals in the 3-2 victory against Koln earlier this season in August. Another multi-goal performance against Koln would see him record his sixth consecutive Bundesliga season of ten goals or more scored.

Plenty of offensive action expected

Bayern and Koln are ranked first and third in shots recorded so far this season in the Bundesliga. Bayern has registered 359 shots while Koln has recorded 261 shots. Both goalkeepers could be busy in this match if Bayern and Koln put together impressive shot totals. There were five goals scored in their first fixture of the season in August and there could very likely be a similar goal total on Saturday. (Stats courtesy: Bundesliga)