Bundesliga
Saturday 18 September 2010 14.30
| Score line | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Final score | Bayern Munich | 0 – 0 (HT 0 – 0) | Cologne |
| Bookings |
|
| Bayern Munich’s Percentage | Cologne’s Percentage | |
|---|---|---|
| Corners | 10 90% | 1 10% |
| On target | 4 66% | 2 34% |
| Fouls | 10 33% | 20 67% |
| Offside | 1 100% | 0 0% |
| Bayern Munich |
|
|---|---|
| Cologne |
|
| Referee | Zwayer, F |
|---|---|
| Venue | Allianz Arena |
| Attendance | 69,000 |
Bayern were unable to add to the celebrations marking the first day of this year’s Oktoberfest on Saturday, as ultra-defensive FC Köln ground out a goalless stalemate to maintain their status as the only Bundesliga club never to have lost at the Allianz Arena.
The 69,000 capacity crowd saw a first half fully conforming to the norm when FCB play at home, with the home side camped out in the final third but finding chances hard to come by against grimly determined opponents. There was much greater urgency to the double winners’ play after half-time, but Köln keeper Faryd Mondragon was in sparkling form and the Rhineland side stood firm till the end.
The result moves the Bavarians up to eighth in the standings on five points, five behind second-placed Hoffenheim and seven off early leaders Mainz. Curiously enough, the top two are Bayern’s next Bundesliga opponents on Tuesday and Saturday next week.
Louis van Gaal made two changes compared to the midweek win against AS Roma. Franck Ribery returned from his Champions League suspension in place of Hamit Altintop, with Miro Klose preferred to Ivica Olic. Munich were otherwise unchanged in defence and central midfield, where Mark van Bommel and Bastian Schweinsteiger once again shared the anchoring and distribution duties.
In the build-up to the match, Van Gaal made no secret of his belief that Zvonimir Soldo’s men would set out their stall and defend, and that was precisely what happened after match official Felix Zwayer whistled proceedings underway.
Overall, there were striking similarities to Wednesday’s meeting with AS Roma: despite the home side’s total domination of the possession and moments of great skill from Ribery and Toni Kroos, chances were thin on the ground against Köln’s disciplined and hard-working defence.
A couple of deflected shots were all Bayern had to show for the first 20 minutes, but when Taner Yalcin blasted a half-volley wide of Jörg Butt’s goal in practically Köln’s first foray over the halfway line, the men in red were shaken awake and visiting keeper Mondragon was diving at Klose’s feet to deny the Germany striker from close range.