Lets not beat around the bush, it's been a very bad week for Koeln. A 3-0 defeat to fellow strugglers St Pauli last weekend leaves the club in 16th position, relegation being very much on the cards if consistency isn't found.
A bad week was made a whole lot worse on Monday when the transfer of Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting from Hamburg broke down. The reason? A faulty fax machine.
The dodgy fax connection resulted in the DFB receiving the necessary paperwork 12 minutes after the deadline with a later appeal from the club being rejected.
Die Geissboecke will ultimately be disappointed on missing out on the young Cameroonian international, especially as the proposed transfer was an attempt to resurrect the club's flailing attack, there 22 goals this season being the lowest in the whole of the league.
What is for certain is that Frank Schaefer's men will need to discover the kind of form that has seen the team defeat the likes of Hamburg and Werder Bremen.
Recent form against Bayern indicates the Bundesliga strugglers certainly have a chance against the champions with eyes in particular being on ex-Bayern players Michael Rensing and Lukas Podolski who will be keen to frustrate their former employers.
With or without Choupo-Moting, Koeln are going to have to find their form, and fast.
Ottl And Co Looking To Stop The Rot
Last week's impressive 3-1 victory over Werder Bremen made it five games unbeaten for Louis van Gaal's men as the champions continue in their trail of leaders Dortmund. The Bavarian giants now sit in third place, the first time this season the club have been in the champions league qualification positions.
So it is fair to say that things look decidedly rosey in Munich at the moment as die Roten head to North Rhine-Westphalia for a showdown with 16th-placed Koeln.
It would appear that given their good form Bayern should make light-work of defeating a team who are embroiled in a relegation battle. However, recent form may prove otherwise.
Bayern have failed to beat Koeln in their last four outings with three draws and a defeat indicating that despite their good form, the champions will need to approach the game with an air of caution.
Yet Andreas Ottl appears very confident about Saturday's encounter. "We've got a good run started. We're playing fluid football and creating a lot of chances. We're in good shape and Koeln aren't a bogey team for us," the midfielder told the Bundesliga official website.
Ottl has been a peripheral figure at the Allianz Arena over the years but has become an important member of the first team in recent weeks and Mark van Bommel's recent departure will surely strengthen his position in Bayern's starting line-up.
The holding midfielder has played an important role in Bayern's last two victories which has given the 25-year-old a much needed confidence boost.
"We won them both, which also speaks in my favour. The coach believes in me and I'm hopeful of keeping my place."
TEAM NEWS
Koeln
Frank Schaefer is expected to ring the changes after last week's disappointing 3-0 defeat to St Pauli. Miso Brecko and Geromel are expected to come into the defence in place of Andrezinho and Tomoaki Makino respectively. Youssef Mohamad will start alongside Geromel in place of attacker Slawomir Peszko in what will be a defensive reshuffle. Petit has shrugged off a hamstring strain and is expected to take the place of Martin Lanig in the centre of the field. Koeln continue to be without Kostas Giannoulis (ankle), Kevin McKenna and Sebastian Freis who are both back in training but short of match fitness.
Probable Starting XI: Rensing - Brecko, Geromel, Mohamad, Eichner - Petit, Matuschyk - Clemens, Podolski, Ehret - Novakovic
Bayern Munich
Bayern have no fresh injury concerns and are expected to name the same line-up that defeated Werder Bremen last Saturday. Franck Ribery continues his spell on the sidelines with the knee injury that is likely to keep him out until mid-February. Diego Contento (stress fracture), Toni Kroos (foot) and Ivica Olic (knee) also miss out.
Probable Starting XI: Kraft - Lahm, Tymoshchuk, Badstuber, Luiz Gustavo - Ottl, Pranjic - Mueller, Schweinsteiger, Robben - Gomez
Prediction
 FC Köln 2-2 Bayern Munich |  |
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