1. FC Köln fell to a 5:1 defeat to FC Bayern München on the final day of the 2025-26 season. Said El Mala reduced the deficit after Harry Kane’s early brace. Tom Bischof restored Bayern’s advantage moments later. Kane registered his third goal of the game and 36th goal of the season, with Nicolas Jackson scoring the fifth late on.
Team news
Vincent Kompany opted for six alterations to the Bayern team that began the 1:0 win in Wolfsburg. Jonas Urbig, Josip Stanisic, Min-jae Kim, Hiroki Ito, Michael Olise and Nicolas Jackson dropped to the bench for Manuel Neuer, Konrad Kaimer, Dayot Upamecano, Jonathan Tah, Lennart Karl and Luis Diaz.
René Wagner made three changes to the side that started against 1. FC Heidenheim. Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, Eric Martel and Alessio Castro-Montes replaced Tom Krauß, Ísak Jóhannesson and Linton Maina.
Bayern ahead at the break
Bayern started strongly and never let up through the opening 45 minutes. After two close calls moments before, the home side took the lead in the 10th minute. Harry Kane converted from close range after Joshua Kimmich extended a Lennart Karl cross.
It was the same duo who created the second goal of the game just three minutes later. A free-kick on the edge of the area was teed up by Kimmich for Kane, who thundered through the split FC wall, leaving Marvin Schwäbe powerless to prevent Kane’s 35th goal of the season.
However, FC issued a response in the 18th minute. After Jamal Musiala lost the ball to Said El Mala, he breezed past Joshua Kimmich and Dayot Upamecano before charging 60 yards and slotting past the oncoming Manuel Neuer.
That hope would be short-lived, though. Tom Bischof restored Bayern’s two-goal lead in the 22nd minute. A cross from Lennart Karl slipped all the way to the back post, with no-one able to get a foot to the ball. Bischof wasted no time in thundering a low drive into the bottom corner from 20 yards.
Jakub Kamiński’s late effort that was blocked by Harry Kane was the highlight of a late FC flurry. Yet FC were thankful to see Bayern, in particular Luis Diaz and Harry Kane, denied by Schwäbe late on. Musiala also struck the post with a powerful effort.
Kane and Jackson score in the second-half
FC started the second-half positively, with Cenk Özkacar narrowly missing a near-post delivery. Moments prior, Linton Maina came off the bench to curl an effort just wide. At the other end, Lennart Karl clipped the base of the post in response.
FC had been playing with pruprose in the second-half, yet Bayern’s quality would tell towards the end of the game. Harry Kane slammed home from 25 yards to seal his hat-trick, while Nicolas Jackson needed all of 60 seconds to score on his final Bundesliga appearance.
Line-ups
FC Bayern München (4-2-3-1): Neuer (Urbig 60’) – Laimer (Stanisic 46’), Upamecano, Tah, Bischof – Kimmich, Goretzka (Jackson 83’) – Karl (Olise 60’), Musiala (Guerreiro 69’), Luis Diaz – Kane.
1. FC Köln (3-3-2-2): Schwäbe – Schmied (Maina 46’), Simpson-Pusey, Cenk – Sebulonsen, Martel, Lund – Kamiński (Kainz 90+2’), Castro-Montes (Jóhannesson 69’) – El Mala (Thielmann 80’), Bülter (Niang 80’).
Goals: 1:0, Kane 10‘. 2:0, Kane 13‘. 2:1, El Mala 18‘. 3:1, Bischof 22‘. 4:1, Kane 69’. 5:1, Jackson 83’.
Referee: Deniz Aytekin (Oberasbach).
Booked: Schmied (34‘), Laimer (37‘).
Attendance: 75,000 (sold-out).