Three weeks before facing Paris SG in the knockout stages of the Champions League, Bayern Munich got scared and avoided a second setback this season on a superb strike from Joshua Kimmich, unstoppable for the Cologne goalkeeper Marvin Schwäbe, yet perfect for 90 minutes.

At the start of 2023, Bayern are treading water, since for the resumption of the Bundesliga, they had already settled for a draw, after leading in score in Leipzig.

With 36 points, Bayern retains the lead in the championship, but Leipzig's big victory on Tuesday at the start of the evening allows the Red Bulls to recover perfectly in the wake of the ten-time reigning German champions, four points (32).

Tuesday evening, in a refrigerated Allianz Arena, Bayern were led from the 4th minute.

On a corner taken by Florian Kainz, the French vice-world champion Dayot Upamecano was overtaken by Julian Chabot, and Ellyes Skhiri at the far post was able to open the scoring for Cologne.

Yann Sommer, who was playing his second match with Bayern, could not do anything about the Tunisian international's attempt.

The Munich people had several chances in the first half to equalize, but either Cologne goalkeeper and captain Marvin Schwäbe was able to fend off attempts by Serge Gnabry (14th) or Benjamin Pavard (44th) or the Munich crosses did not find takers.

And Julian Nagelsmann's men avoided correctional at the half-hour mark, on a counter-attack led by Linton Maina, but Kainz's cross for Skhiri was narrowly repelled by Yann Sommer.

The entries of Kingsley Coman and Ryan Gravenberch, for Gnabry and Gorerzka, on returning from the locker room provided more offensive solutions.

The Munich people continued to create chances, but always fell on Schwäbe.

Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann moderately appreciates the performance of his players against Cologne on January 24, 2023 in Munich © CHRISTOF STACHE / AFP

Strong comeback from Wolfsburg

It was finally thanks to Kimmich's inspiration in the 90th minute that the 75,000 Munich supporters of the Allianz Arena were able to explode with joy, while Nagelsmann tried everything for everything with three attackers -Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Thomas Müller and Mathys Tel- in the last ten minutes.

Bayern still have three league matches (Frankfurt, Wolfsburg and Bochum) and one in the Cup (round of 16 against Mainz) to sign a first victory in 2023, before challenging Paris SG in the round of 16 first leg of the Champions League February 14th.

RB Leipzig, which corrected the red lantern Schalke (6-1) on the lawn of Gelsenkirchen, thanks to goals from André Silva (7th, 45th), Benjamin Henrichs (15th), Timo Werner (45th), Dani Olmo ( 83rd) and Yussuf Poulsen (89th), therefore carried out the good operation of the evening.

RB Leipzig players outclassed Schalke 04 6-1 in Gelsenkirchen on January 24, 2023 © INA FASSBENDER / AFP

And on Wednesday evening, Randal Kolo Muani's Eintracht Frankfurt, Freiburg and Union Berlin have the opportunity to come back to within three points of the Bavarians.

Union Berlin moves to Bremen while Frankfurt receives Freiburg.

Eintracht are heading into a crucial week as they travel to Munich for the Bundesliga clash.

Also note the incredible rise in the standings of Wolfsburg, which signed its sixth consecutive victory in the Bundesliga on Tuesday evening on the lawn of Hertha Berlin, to climb to sixth place with 29 points.

Penultimate after the 7th day in mid-September, Niko Kovac's men have since been undefeated.

© 2023 AFP