Bayern not fazed by absentees, Dortmund or Cologne

Cologne 0-4 Bayern Munich
(Lewandowski 9', 62', 74', Tolisso 24')
RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne

"We could sit back and still get our ass kicked," Cologne coach Steffen Baumgart said ahead of his team's game against Bayern Munich.

Baumgart's attitude typified the attacking-minded approach of his team so far this season, but it also proved prescient as the Billy Goats tried to play football but were ultimately outclassed anyway.

The opening goal summed up the home team's predicament: Corentin Tolisso's poor first touch saw the ball get away from him, allowing Cologne to win possession in a dangerous area.

But Ondrej Duda, trying to do too much, immediately lost the ball again, Bayern broke forward, and Robert Lewandowski set Bayern on their way to a 4-0 win that dashed any tentative hopes of a Bundesliga title race once more.

Those hopeful embers had been kept burning by several factors early in the new year:

A COVID-19 outbreak in the Bayern squad saw a much-changed team beaten by Borussia Mönchengladbach, while title race pretenders Borussia Dortmund responded to criticism of their mental fortitude with a comeback in Frankfurt and a commanding win over Freiburg.

Combined with the prospect of Bayern, still not at full strength, on the road to face a tenacious Cologne side that had won its past three games, hope remained.

Bayern restore Bundesliga lead

Nagelsmann's side once again showed that, in the Bundesliga in 2022, it's going to take more than pandemic-enforced absentees and brave opposition to stop Bayern Munich from winning a 10th consecutive title.

Tolisso, starting in the absence of Leon Goretzka, demonstrated that his earlier faux pas was just a one-off as he fired Bayern's second exquisitely into the top corner — complementing Thomas Müller's 17th Bundesliga assist perfectly.

"His assists have been extraordinary in recent years," Nagelsmann said post-match. "It shows how well he positions himself and how good his awareness is on the pitch."

In the second half, Leroy Sane set up Lewandowski's 299th and 300th Bundesliga goals to crown a hat trick and restore Bayern's six-point lead.

"After last week [against Gladbach] and after Dortmund's result last night, it was important," Nagelsmann said. "Especially against a Cologne team which is having such a good season, plays bravely, presses and counterattacks well — not to mention the danger they pose from crosses."

Kind and accurate words from Nagelsmann, safe in the knowledge that even that's not enough to beat this Bayern side.