Matches against Köln rarely prove to be easy for Bayern and last weekend's encounter was no exception. The Bavarians came out flying at the start and broke down their visitors' rigid defense in minutes through a set piece. Bastian Schweinsteiger scored with his head following a corner. Franck Ribery then found a gap in the field which not many saw to score from distance. Bayern then stepped down a gear; this is when Köln surprised them. Anthony Ujah took advantage of poor marking during a corner and scored with a thumping header.
The Billy Goats started the second half well too and, had Manuel Neuer not been the man standing between the posts, would perhaps have been in the lead. Some wonderful chances were squandered. Eventually, Robben added to Bayern's tally with a goal from close range to all but guarantee a win on the club's 115th birthday. Robert Lewandowski then turned the match into a rout by adding the Bavarians' fourth goal. All in all, Bayern will be coming into their meeting against Braunschweig, full of confidence.
Eintracht Braunschweig's relegation to the second division following promotion to the first division last season has shown the pain that such a ride can cause. Braunschweig, a team which had done so well in the 2.Bundesliga in the past, is no longer a top three side They are in sixth place, seven points behind the second automatic promotion spot. Last season, they took on Bayern in the Bundesliga twice and lost both meetings by two goals. Arjen Robben scored the goals in the first meeting at the Allianz Arena; Claudio Pizarro and former striker Mario Mandzukic found the back of the net late on in the match in Braunschweig.
The two also met in the DFB Pokal in the 2011-12 season. In the first round, Bayern put paid to Braunschweig in a rather lackluster affair. Yet another former striker, Mario Gomez opened the scoring in that match from the penalty spot while Schweinsteiger added a second, also from the spot. Thomas Müller scored late on, adding gloss to the result.
Braunschweig has lost three of their four previous fixtures in the 2.Bundesliga, managing a draw against RB Leipzig in the other match. Can they surprise Bayern in this derby? Interested in learning how you can watch the 2014-15 DFB Pokal? Check out our DFB Pokal page!
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