Köln played Bayern Munich Women in the DFB-Pokal Frauen Round of 32 on Friday, losing 1:2. The result sent the visitors through to the next stage while ending Köln's cup run on home soil.
By then, both sides had shown mixed recent form. Köln had won two of their last five matches — a 2:1 victory over Hoffenheim II and another against San — but lost three, including a 1:2 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt II. Bayern meanwhile were closing in on momentum after a 3:0 win over Mainz 05, though they had also suffered setbacks: a 1:2 loss to Bayer Leverkusen and a heavy 1:4 defeat to Bayern's rivals in Munich.
And here's the thing — Köln had been competitive in their recent outings. They drew 1:1 with Hamburg and lost narrowly to Fortuna Köln and Viktoria Berlin. To be fair, the home side didn't look out of place against stronger opposition until the final whistle. But Bayern's experience in these knockout ties told.
The visitors managed to extend their unbeaten run to two competitive fixtures after the Mainz victory. Köln's players fought hard, especially in the opening half, but they gave away too many cheap fouls in dangerous areas. The coach could have made more changes earlier — by then, the game was slipping away.
This result means Bayern progress while Köln must refocus on league duties. The gap between the two sides in the Bundesliga table remains significant, but on this evening, the difference was measured in moments, not minutes. Köln will look for redemption when they meet Bayern again in the league later this season.