Following an exceptional week, Bayern will travel to Rhein-Energie Stadion to face FC Köln. Carlo Ancelotti’s side are in a fiery run of form, having scored 16 goals in their last three matches. They will be eyeing to increase the gap between them and Leipzig at the top of the table but face a substantially difficult task of overcoming Peter Stöger’s sturdy Köln. Here is the predicted lineup for Carlo Ancelotti’s side to feature against die Effzeh.
Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer had a surprisingly quiet night in their DFB cup clash against Schalke. Having already clinched 10 clean sheets, Neuer will look to extend the tally against Köln.
Right Back: Philip Lahm was absent against Schalke in midweek. He is set to return in the starting lineup instead of Rafinha and will also take the armband from Manuel Neuer.
Center Back (R): Javi Martinez’s solid performance was one of the reasons behind Schalke’s drab performance in the attacking third. He will be looking to replicate the same feat on Saturday.
Center Back (L): Defender Mats Hummels has taken a muscular knock, David Alaba will take up his role as a left-sided center back. The Austrian star was deployed as an LCB a lot of times this season by Carlo Ancelotti.
Left Back: Juan Bernat will start as the left back on Saturday. The Spanish fullback was linked with a move away from the club. So this will be a huge chance for him to prove his mettle.
Central Midfielder (R): Arturo Vidal’s monstrous performance kept Schalke at bay for the entirety of the match. The Chilean midfielder will once again try to dominate the likes of Marco Höger and Matthias Lehmann in Köln midfield.
Center Midfield (L): Joshua Kimmich might earn a starting berth against Köln. The young midfielder’s fiery start to the season has somewhat faded as it seems, due to lack of opportunities. He needs to keep his scoring form intact.
Attacking Midfield: Thiago Alcantara will no doubt start as an attacking midfielder. He has been a consistent performer and a wizard for Bayern this season. Peter Stöger will have to do his homework perfectly against the Spanish international.
Right Wing: Arjen Robben’s pace and trickery will be a handful for the opposition defense. The Dutchman has already found the net eight times this season and will be eager to increase his tally.
Left Wing: Franck Ribéry was on fire against Schalke, notching up two assists and having a part to play in all three of Bayern’s goals. Stopping him will be a huge task for Stöger’s men.
Striker: Robert Lewandowski has been on fire in the past couple of months. Following a hat-trick against HSV, the former Dortmund man scored a brace against Schalke. He will look to overcome Aubameyang this week as the top scorer in the Bundesliga.
