Overview
- Bayern came from behind at Köln to finish the first half unbeaten on 47 points and a 66:13 goal difference, with Serge Gnabry, Min-jae Kim and Lennart Karl scoring after Linton Maina’s opener and a roughly ten-minute pyrotechnics stoppage.
- Köln’s winless run stretched to eight, heightening scrutiny on coach Lukas Kwasniok before Saturday’s home date with Mainz, who just beat Heidenheim 2:1 for Urs Fischer’s first Bundesliga win in nearly two and a half years.
- RB Leipzig consolidated third place with a 2:0 victory over Freiburg, as Willi Orban and Romulo scored from set pieces to keep RB within four points of Dortmund with a game in hand.
- Bayern expect defender Josip Stanisic to miss around three weeks with a right-ankle capsule–ligament injury, according to Sport Bild.
- Schalke 04 lead the 2. Bundesliga into the Rückrunde on 37 points with a standout 22:10 goal record, positioning themselves as primary promotion contenders.