1st FC Cologne – VfL Wolfsburg
The Bundesliga goes into the 2nd matchday this weekend. And on us therefore also the second Saturday conference in this season awaits. In the cathedral city, two teams meet there, which delivered quite convincing performances in the first game. Whether the fans can look forward to an exciting game on Saturday, you can find out in our Cologne – Wolfsburg tip.
Although both teams played decently in the previous week, the results of the two teams looked different. VfL Wolfsburg had to deal with the promoted team from Heidenheim in their home arena and converted their superiority into a 2:0 victory. Cologne, on the other hand, traveled to the vice-champion from Dortmund. The Geißböcke held their own against the Borussians and were even the better team at times. In the end, however, FC still suffered a 1-0 defeat.
The start of the season of the Geißböcke thus failed in the previous week. However, the cathedral cities can still go with self-confidence in the duel with the VfL. Under coach Steffen Baumgart, Cologne has never started a Bundesliga season with two defeats. Niko Kovac, on the other hand, has only managed to start the new season with two wins once in his five full seasons in the Bundesliga.
Cologne – Wolfsburg info:
- Date & Time: 08/26/2023, 15:30 hrs.
- Location: RheinEnergieSTADION, Cologne
- Competition: Bundesliga, 2nd Matchday
- TV broadcast: Sky
Cologne form & balance check
Last season, 1. FC Köln faced a variety of challenges. Despite a promising start to the Bundesliga, the team faltered towards the end of the Hinrunde and often presented a less convincing performance. Over the course of 2023, a slight upward trend emerged for FC.
At the end of the season, the billy goats secured a respectable 11th place in the table. In the opening match of the new season in the cup, the Cologne team narrowly beat Osnabrück from the 2nd Bundesliga 3:1 after extra time. The Bundesliga opener against BVB ended in a 0:1 defeat for FC despite a strong performance.
Storm lull on the Rhine
Cologne’s offense often failed to find its stride in the preseason. FC went a total of 13 games in the Bundesliga without scoring a goal of its own in the past season. In the second half of the season, the Cathedral City team even went 406 minutes without scoring a goal.
Cologne’s top scorer in the preseason was Ellyes Skhiri, who is based in central midfield. However, Davie Selke scored five goals for the Geißböcke, although the 28-year-old only moved to the Rhine in the winter. The former Hertha player is likely to be even more of a focal point for Cologne in the new season and will be an absolute regular for FC.
Cologne facts & analysis
- Placed 11th in the league in the preseason.
- Lost in the previous week with 0:1 against BVB
- Only six home wins in the preseason
Wolfsburg form & balance check
Wolfsburg fans experienced ups and downs of emotions in the preseason. After a weak start to the season, coach Niko Kovac’s team played itself into a real run and climbed up the table. At the end of the season, however, it was still not enough for an international place, as the Wolves finished in eighth place.
After a commanding 6-0 win over Makkabi Berlin in the first round of the cup, the start to the Bundesliga was also very successful. The VfL won 2-0 against Heidenheim, who have just been promoted from the 2nd Bundesliga, and would now like to follow up with a win against FC.
Intense Wolves
Coach Niko Kovac doesn’t rely much on possession in his system. This was also evident in the opening win against 1. FC Heidenheim. The promoted team from Baden-Württemberg had a total of 52% possession in the away game at the Volkswagen Arena. It’s far from the case that Heidenheim shone with a lot of possession in the German Unterhaus in the preseason, as FCH only finished tenth in the possession table.
Kovac’s main focus, however, is on a sacrificial style of play. This is also reflected in the fact that the Wolves had the most intense runs and the most sprints in the league in the preseason.
Wolfsburg facts & analysis
- Placed 8th in the league in the preseason.
- Still without conceding a goal this season
- Won 2-0 against Heidenheim in the previous week
Predicted lineup – last update on August 24, 2023
Coach Steffen Baumgart will probably send his Cologne team on the field again in a kind of 4-2-3-1. Selke will again be present in the forward line, as the striker is expected to be fit again by the weekend. Newcomer Alidou could start right from the beginning for the Geißböcken.
For Wolfsburg, we expect a 4-3-3 again, with Jonas Wind back up front against Cologne after his brace against Heidenheim. Patrick Wimmer, however, did not have a particularly good day against the promoted team and could be dropped from the starting eleven. For him, Jakub Kaminski is likely to move into the starting eleven.
Cologne – Wolfsburg direct comparison & statistics
In 37 encounters so far, these two teams have met, with the Wolves emerging victorious 17 times. In addition, there have been ten draws and ten wins for FC Köln. Last season, each team recorded one win.
- The two teams were separated by seven points in the league in the preseason.
- The last win of Cologne against Bayern was on 02/05/2011.
- Both teams won in the first round in the cup
