Table of Contents
1. FC Köln – Werder Bremen
Due to the World Cup in Qatar, the winter break was overlong this year. But now the wait is finally over. The Bundesliga resumes play. For the first top match of the new year, SV Werder Bremen will travel to Cologne-Müngersdorf to face 1. FC Köln on Saturday. Both teams are desperate to start with a win.
1. FC Köln have played a good season so far, but weakened considerably in the last games before the winter break. The Geißböcke have only picked up one point from their last five Bundesliga games. The last game was a 2-0 loss to Hertha in Berlin. Cologne thus spent the winter in 13th place in the league.
Werder Bremen, on the other hand, played a very solid season for a promoted team. The two defeats before the World Cup break against Bayern and Leipzig did not detract from the Bremen team’s good performance. Werder are currently in ninth place in the table and are already seven points clear of the relegation place. Find out which team will start the second half of the season better in our Cologne vs Bremen betting tips.
Cologne – Bremen info:
– Date & Time: 21.01.2023, 18:30 Uhr
– Venue: RheinEnergieSTADION, Cologne
– Competition: Bundesliga, Matchday 16
– TV broadcast: Sky
Cologne Form & Balance Check
In the season before last, 1. FC Köln escaped relegation by a hair’s breadth. A 5:1 victory in the relegation second leg against Holstein Kiel secured Cologne’s relegation at the last second. The upswing last season was all the more astonishing. FC finished the season in seventh place and thus secured their participation in the UEFA Conference League.
However, the double burden was a bit too much for 1. FC Köln in the end. Not only did FC drop out of the Conference League, but their form in the league deteriorated as well. After a solid start to the season, the Cologne team increasingly ran out of steam. Coach Steffen Baumgart’s team picked up only one point from the last five Bundesliga games. The last game before the winter break saw the Cathedral City side lose 2-0 at Hertha Berlin and slip to 13th in the table.
Too many goals conceded
The departure of Anthony Modeste shortly after the start of the season still hurts Cologne to this day. Florian Kainz is the cathedral city’s top scorer with five goals. The FC’s most successful striker is Steffen Tigges with three goals. In winter, Cologne then brought in Davie Selke to fill the gap in the centre of attack.
The biggest problem for the Geißböcke, however, is their spotty defence. In the first 15 games, FC conceded 29 goals. Goalkeeper Marvin Schwäbe has kept a clean sheet only once this season. Only the two clubs in the relegation places, Schalke 04 and VfL Bochum, have conceded more goals.
Cologne facts & analysis
– Three Bundesliga defeats in a row.
– The third-worst defence in the league
– Only three points off the relegation place
Bremen form & balance check
In the 2003/2004 season Werder Bremen became German champions and enchanted the whole of Germany with their spectacular football. In 2009 Werder only narrowly lost the UEFA Cup final to Schachtar Donetsk and two seasons later Bremen took part in the Champions League. Today, Werder fans can only dream of these successful times. In the season before last, Bremen were relegated from the Bundesliga and are now back in the top flight after a one-year absence.
The return to the Bundesliga has clearly been a success for the Bremen team so far. Werder play refreshing offensive football and currently find themselves in ninth place in the Bundesliga. However, Bremen lost their last two games before the World Cup break. However, the opponents in both matches were also Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig.
Goals guaranteed
Goals are rarely in short supply in matches involving Werder Bremen. No Bremen match has ended goalless in the Bundesliga this season and only twice has there been only one goal. Already six times four or more goals were scored in a match involving Bremen.
This flood of goals logically leads to many goals being conceded. Bremen have already conceded 27 goals and thus have the fourth weakest defence in the Bundesliga. However, Bremen also has a strong attack. National striker Niclas Füllkrug in particular stands out, having already scored ten goals. Only Christopher Nkunku of Leipzig has scored more often.
Bremen facts & analysis
– Only two away defeats.
– Only twice to nil in the league
– Bremen have the fifth best offense in the league
Predicted line-up – last update on 20 January 2023
Coach Steffen Baumgart announced that he is thinking about a double forward with Tigges and Selke. Therefore, we think that Cologne will play in a 4-4-2. With Kilian, Pedersen, Smajic, Limnios, Lemperle, Andersson, Dietz, Schmid and Uth, Cologne will be missing nine players for the opener.
Bremen will start the match with a three-man backline. The two track players are essential for the Bremen game. Füllkrug and Duksch will once again form the attacking duo. Only Romano Schmid is missing due to injury.
Cologne – Bremen direct comparison & Statistics
The record of the two teams is very even. Both teams have met 106 times in competitive matches so far. Werder won 39 games, FC won 38 games and 29 times there was no winner. The two games between the teams in the season before last ended with a 1-1 draw.
– Both teams are separated by four points in the league.
– Cologne have not lost to Bremen in front of their home crowd for ten games.
– When Cologne leads 1-0 in home games, they win 72% of the matches
– Did you know that Werder Bremen score 44% of their goals between the 76-90 minute?
