English 
Can the Kane show continue on Friday!?
Last time out, the championship was decided in this tie and while the stakes are not as high, there is plenty of excitement to be had. Köln-Bayern München preview.
After the last international break of the year, the top leagues (also) resume on Friday, with no stopping until the winter break. The 12th round of the German top flight opens with Köln-Bayern, which on first reading and on paper is a straight 2, with the question being whether Harry Kane can continue the frantic pace he has set in his first season in Munich.
The England captain has been putting up some surreal numbers and it has taken him a few months to accumulate record after record. In the game before the break, in which Heidenheim scared the record holders for a moment after equalising 2-2, Kane scored twice again. With the 4-2 win, Bayern remain unbeaten and Harry now has 17 goals to his name – telling given that 16 goals were enough to win the title last season.
He is expected to start again against Cologne, of course, and the Munich side have done well against the Goats in recent years, having come away victorious on nine occasions. Their most recent clash at the RheinEnergieStadion was a memorable one, with Musiala’s last-gasp goal securing the Bavarians their 11th consecutive Salata title. The previews suggest a smoother success for the Mullers, as
Cologne have only once in their history scored fewer points than this after 11 rounds – that was in the 2017/2018 season, when they were eventually relegated.
There’s nothing new under the sun in terms of absentees – Matthijs de Ligt is still out due to knee problems, while Raphael Guerreiro is close to 100 percent. Tuchel is not expected to risk Musiala just yet, while Pentke and Christensen are on the questionable list for the home side.
Possible Bayern München line up: Neuer © — Mazraoui, Upamecano, Kim, Davies — Kimmich, Goretkza — Sané, Müller, Coman — Kane
What is worth betting on?
After 12 rounds, no team has ever been 42 goals down, which is a great indication of the potential Bayern have this year, so the Cologne defenders must be shaking. Especially as the home side have not scored once in 19 Bundesliga matches. Steffen Baumgart’s record against the record champions is also lousy (six defeats, one draw), but Bayern are unbeaten in 16 meetings against Cologne, so all signs point to a straight away win.
It’s a popular saying that it’s not worth changing a winning recipe, so we’ve gone for the one-goal bet this time too. After all, the Bavarians lead the league in terms of early goals – the record champions have nine in the first 15 minutes, so at odds of 1.70 times, it doesn’t seem like a bad deal to see them start scoring in the first half hour. Of course, handicap options and Kane bets are also promising, but Friday fixtures tend to be a surprise, and the team’s 9 is also due for a poor day.
