Daily Schmankerl: The aftermath of Bayern Munich vs. FC Köln; Christian Pulisic-to-Bayern rumor shot down; Jurgen Klopp to Germany?; Julian Nagelsmann interested in Spurs move; and MORE!

Die Folgen: Bayern’s 5-1 victory over the Billy Goats (Bavarian Football Works)

Bayern Munich ripped off a convincing 5-1 win over FC Köln on Saturday in what turned out to be a really solid showing for the Bavarians. Here are some quick hitters on the match:

• Starting Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting was certainly a bold move by Hansi Flick, but it paid off with a goal. Choupo-Moting was decent overall and, at a minimum, gave Flick a different look from the wing position.
• Leon Goretzka was tremendous on the day. With three assists, Goretzka once again showed why he is one of the best (relatively) young midfielders on the planet.
• Robert Lewandowski’s slick pass and hard run on his first goal was just a picturesque play to watch develop. Goretzka’s interplay there was just fantastic.
• Jamal Musiala did not have the most impactful performance, but this was probably more about gaining experience and giving Thomas Müller a little extra time to rest than anything else. The kid is 18 and extremely talented, but still has a way to go. Musiala was reckless at times and in the wrong spot at other times, but it was the type of game time he needed. We should enjoy the ride of his development — both the ups and downs.
• Niklas Sule turned in another very solid effort once again at right-back. This is a good sign for Sule moving forward. The big fella needed to string together a few good performances and he has done just that.
• Alphonso Davies was good on the opposite defensive flank as well, though his effort on FC Köln’s goal could have been better. Davies was not primarily at fault on the play and even looked a little shocked that Ellyes Skhiri had advanced to that position. As with Sule, Davies performance was a step in the right direction overall.
• Thomas Müller and Serge Gnabry were quite a duo to bring in, eh? Müller’s first pass resulted in an assist to Lewandowski and Gnabry had a brace.
• The Müller-to-Lewandowski goal was just tremendous. That single play represents the symbiotic relationship between the two veterans.
• At least one German out was trying to insinuate that Flick’s decision to bring in Tiago Dantas over Marc Roca was going to cause a rift between the manager and sporting director Hasan “Brazzo” Salihamidzic. That seems a bit absurd, no?
• Ultimately, Bayern Munich was choppy at times, but proved they were the far better team.

If you missed our Match Awards, Observations, or Postgame Podcast, give them a look or a listen:

Potential Pulisic plot panned by pundit (@cfbayern)

Sport Bild chief Christian Falk shot down the rumor that Bayern Munich initiated contact with Chelsea star and Pennsylvania legend Christian Pulisic:

Pulisic’s immediate future will be interesting to watch play out in London. As the club continues to invest in its roster, there is the potential for Pulisic — and a few other players — to get lost in the shuffle.

Hopefully he can avoid that fate, but it seems like the club’s player pool will be in a state of flux for the foreseeable future.

Klopp to Germany? (Sky)

Sky captured a report from Bild, which stated that Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp could be interested in taking over the German national team:

Jurgen Klopp could be tempted away from Liverpool if the Germany international job becomes available next year, according to German newspaper Bild.

Klopp would seem like a natural choice to reinvigorate Germany — and that would also likely keep Hansi Flick with Bayern Munich for a while longer. So....YES!

Nagelsmann open to Spurs move (@cfbayern)

Sport Bild chief Christian Falk gave his “true” flexxx on the rumor linking Julian Nagelsmann to Tottenham Hotspur. It looks like the 33-year-old would be open to a move to England:

Hegering down with muscle injury (@FCBfrauen)

FC Bayern Frauen veteran Marina Hegering will miss some time with a muscle injury:

Just when you thought... (@swearimnotpaul)

Man, Schalke 04 keeps on Schalke-ing:

But wait...there’s more!