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1st FC Cologne – Hertha BSC
The tension in the Bundesliga is slowly but surely approaching its absolute peak. This weekend, the 32nd match day will already take place. The starting signal for an exciting soccer weekend in Germany’s top flight will be given this week in the cathedral city. There, 1. FC Köln receives the taillight from the capital at 20:30. FC is currently in a secure midfield position and can relax as the season draws to a close. In the previous week, the Cologne team nevertheless upset their Rhineland rivals. The Geißböcke won the Rhineland duel against Leverkusen with 2:1.
The visitors from Berlin, on the other hand, can’t let their season end on a relaxed note just yet. The Old Lady is currently in last place in the table and is three points behind the relegation places. However, after the performance in the previous week, many Hertha fans should be positive going into the final three games of the season. After eight winless games in a row, the Berliners wrestled VfB Stuttgart down there with a 2-1 win. However, new, old Hertha coach Pál Dárdai will not have fond memories of Cologne coach Steffen Baumgart.
Both coaches have faced each other on the sidelines only once in their careers so far. On the first matchday of the preseason, Baumgart and his FC won 3-1 against Hertha, a defeat that ushered in a poor start to the season for the Berliners, which ultimately ended in Dárdai’s leave of absence in November. Find out whether things will go better for the Hungarian on Friday in our Cologne – Hertha tip.
Cologne – Hertha info:
- Date & Time: 12.05.2023, 20:30 clock.
- Game venue: RheinEnergieSTADION, Cologne
- Competition: Bundesliga, Matchday 32.
- TV broadcast: DAZN
Cologne form & balance check
A few weeks ago, 1. FC Köln was still threatening a deep drop into the relegation battle. The Geißböcke started very weakly in the second half of the season and remained in the meantime even six games in a row without a win. At this point, FC even scored only one goal. After the 1:6 loss in Dortmund on Matchday 25, however, the form of the cathedral city dwellers improved again.
In the meantime, Cologne has returned to much calmer waters. The Geißböcke have lost only one of their past six Bundesliga games. In the previous week, FC even won 2-1 at local rivals Leverkusen, successfully preventing coach Steffen Baumgart’s team from slipping into the 2nd Bundesliga in recent weeks.
Selke vs. ex
In the winter, Davie Selke moved from the Spree to the Rhine. The 28-year-old should play an important role in the storm center of Cologne. For a long time, however, Selke remained luckless in the cathedral city. In recent weeks, however, the former German youth international has made an impressive comeback.
With the two goals against Leverkusen, the center forward will have cemented his regular place. On Friday, Selke will also be particularly motivated against his former club. Between 2017 and 2022, the attacker kicked for Hertha and scored 26 goals and set up 16 others in 126 games there.
Cologne facts & analysis
- Currently in 11th place in the league.
- Only one defeat in last six games
- First five home losses this season
Hertha form & balance check
After entrepreneur Lars Windhorst joined Hertha, many fans in western Berlin were already dreaming of the Champions League. In the meantime, however, not only the investor is already history, but also the dream of international business. The Old Lady is deep in the relegation battle and is playing for survival in the Bundesliga.
Hertha from the capital is currently three points behind the relegation zone. Even the departure of Sandro Schwarz did not initially bring any improvement, because even under the new coach Pál Dárdai, there were initially defeats against Bremen and Bayern with an overall goal ratio of 2:6. The 2-1 win against the direct rivals from Stuttgart in the previous week, however, raised the hopes of Hertha fans again.
With effectiveness to the goal
Last Saturday, Hertha found their effectiveness again against VfB Stuttgart. The Alte Dame won the match against the Swabians 2-1 and that despite the fact that Stuttgart ended up taking twice as many shots as Hertha and was also clearly superior in xG value.
In addition, Hertha had only 29% possession against VfB in their own stadium the previous week. However, the Berliners have been all too happy to relinquish the ball in their own ranks all season. Hertha’s possession rate of just 43% over the course of the season is the lowest in the Bundesliga.
Hertha facts & analysis
- Only five points from the last nine games.
- Currently in 18th place in the league
- Last away win on 04/09/2022
Predicted lineup – last update on 11 May 2023
Coach Steffen Baumgart will again line up his Cologne side in a 4-2-3-1. Selke is set in attack for the Domstadtern and repaid his faith in the previous week with two goals. However, right-back Benno Schmitz will miss the Geißböcken on Friday with a yellow suspension.
Coach Pál Dárdai will also rely on a classic 4-4-2 on Friday. His son Márton Dárdai last played against Stuttgart in defensive midfield and did a very solid job. Florian Niederlechner again recommended himself for the starting eleven with his first goal for Hertha.
Cologne – Hertha direct comparison & statistics
Both teams have faced each other 76 times so far. FC has recorded 33 victories, while the visitors from the capital have won 28 times. In addition, 15 games ended in a draw. However, the first leg at Berlin’s Olympiastadion was won by the Old Lady. The Berliners won 2-0 against Cologne in early November.
- Both teams are separated by 13 points in the league.
- Hertha’s last win at Cologne was on 29/09/2019.
- Cologne have failed to score in 7 of their 15 home games in the Bundesliga this season
- Did you know that Hertha scores 29% of its goals between the 76-90 minute?
