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Bayern Munich can temporarily leapfrog Bayer Leverkusen to the top of the Bundesliga when they take on FC Koln at the RheinEnergieStadion on Friday.
The dreaded international break is behind us, and club football resumes on Friday. The Bundesliga will see Matchday 12 of the 2023/24 season kicking off on the day, with FC Koln hosting reigning champions Bayern Munich at the RheinEnergieStadion.
FC Koln and Bayern Munich are exactly opposite to each other on the table. The hosts are second from bottom after winning only one of their first 11 games, managing six points thus far. But Steffen Baumgart’s men have lost only one of their last four Bundesliga games, suggesting an upturn in form.
But it does not get easy for Koln, with the reigning champions being the next opponents for them. Thomas Tuchel’smen are second in the Bundesliga standings and are one of only two teams yet to lose a German top-flight game this term. Bayern Munich’s form has picked up after a slow start to the campaign, and they have won their last five league games, scoring at least thrice in each outing.
The corresponding fixture last season saw Bayern Munich eke out a narrow 2-1 win, with Jamal Musiala scoring the late winner. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Steffen Baumgart has a new injury concern hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Bayern Munich on Friday, the FC Koln manager will be bereft of the services of three first-team players.
Philipp Pentke and Jacob Christensen remain on the sidelines due to their respective knee injuries. Meanwhile, Mark Uth is the latest absentee due to a muscle injury he sustained ahead of the international break against VfL Bochum.
But Damion Downs (illness) and Dejan Ljubicic (knock) should have recovered from their respective issues to be available to take on Bayern Munich. The latter will likely pair up with Eric Marter in a defensive-minded double pivot.
The duo will aim to keep things tight in the middle of the park and contain Bayern Munich’s creative hub. Meanwhile, Marvin Schwabe will take his spot between the sticks, with Koln lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him. The defensive unit in front of him should feature Timo Hubers, Jeff Chabot, Dominique Heintz, and Rasmus Carstensen.
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