Bayern Munich 2-0 FC Cologne (Apr 13, 2024) Game Analysis

Bayern Munich struck twice within the second half to earn a 2-0 win over Cologne on Saturday and bounce again from two straight league losses forward of their Champions League return leg in opposition to Arsenal subsequent week.

With Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen 13 factors forward and able to wrap up their first ever league title with a win over Werder Bremen on Sunday, Bayern tightened their maintain on second place on 63 factors with 5 video games left.

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They suffered a critical damage blow, nevertheless, with winger Kingsley Coman taken off within the fiftieth minute and dominated out of the quarterfinal in opposition to Arsenal with a suspected thigh muscle damage.

“The injury of Kingsley is extremely bitter with him starting a game today after a very long time,” coach Thomas Tuchel informed a information convention.

“It looked extremely painful on TV and it certainly won’t be enough for Wednesday [against Arsenal].”

“In quarterfinal you want to have the choice options. Maybe you need to play 120 minutes. It’s a big blow for us.”

With 5 league matches left, Bayern are second within the Bundesliga on 63 factors. VfB Stuttgart, third on 60, host Eintracht Frankfurt afterward Saturday.

RB Leipzig, 3-0 winners over VfL Wolfsburg, are fourth on 56, forward on aim distinction of Borussia Dortmund, who face Atletico Madrid within the Champions League subsequent week.

Bayern, buoyed by their midweek efficiency in London, got here out preventing from the beginning and carved out a half dozen golden possibilities, together with twice hitting the woodwork by Harry Kane and Mathys Tel in a dominant first half.

Five minutes after the restart, Coman was taken off clutching his proper thigh. The France worldwide had solely returned two weeks in the past after an virtually two-month absence following a knee ligament damage.

The Bavarians lastly broke the impasse by Raphael Guerreiro’s excellent curling shot within the sixty fifth minute from 20 metres out.

They nonetheless wanted an 89th-minute save from keeper Sven Ulreich to guard their lead earlier than Thomas Mueller scored in stoppage time from a Cologne defensive error to seal the win.