Table of Contents
1. FC Köln vs. Borussia Dortmund
At the end of the 27th matchday of the Bundesliga, we can expect a highly interesting match this weekend. At 7:30 p.m., 1. FC Köln will host Borussia Dortmund on Sunday, with the venue being Cologne’s Rhein-Energie-Stadion. Both teams are currently among the best seven teams in the league, but BVB is of course the clear favorite. The Black and Yellows have recently been able to get closer and closer to Bayern and would add new heat to the championship race with another win in Cologne. Our prediction for this match can be found in the following Cologne vs Dortmund tip.
But the FC is of course absolutely no walk-in customers this season. The Geißböcke are currently in seventh place in the Bundesliga with 39 points, even if the international places are now five points away. BVB, in turn, has a firm grip on second place; with 56 points, the gap to third-place Leverkusen is currently eleven points. But much more important is the gap to the top of the table Bayern Munich, the record champion is now only four points away.
Cologne – Dortmund info
– Date & Time: 20/03/2022, at 19:30.
– Venue: Cologne, RheinEnergieSTADION
– Competition: Bundesliga, 27th matchday
– TV broadcast: DAZN
Cologne Form & Balance Check
Cologne have lost touch with the international places in recent weeks due to a somewhat mixed phase. These were at no time a season goal of the FC, but nevertheless, the Geißböcke had quite realistic chances. In the last eight competitive games, the Cologne team had a balanced record of three wins, three losses and two draws, but the carnival club did not even lose or win more than one game at a time. Particularly painful, however, in view of the remaining representatives was the elimination in the cup against HSV.
FC gets surprise win at Leverkusen
Cologne picked up four points from their last three games. The Geißböcke responded to the draw in Fürth and the defeat against Hoffenheim last weekend with a thoroughly surprising 1-0 win in Leverkusen. Joker Kingsley Schindler scored the golden goal of the day. For the third-placed team in the table, however, the result was overshadowed above all by the serious injury to Florian Wirtz. The 18-year-old super talent tore his cruciate ligament and will miss the rest of the season. Wirtz played for 1. FC Köln for ten years as a youth player.
Cologne facts & analysis
– 7th place in the Bundesliga, 39 points.
– Last won 1:0 in Leverkusen
– 4 points from last 3 games
Dortmund form & balance check
Dortmund can be proud of their recent results. After the Europa League exit against Glasgow and the following disappointing draw in Augsburg, the black and yellows recently responded with two wins in a row. In these, BVB showed previously often missed maturity and patience. Suddenly, Dortmund can also win dirty; against two rather defensively minded opponents from Bielefeld and Mainz, there was a 1:0 victory in each case. With Marius Wolf and Axel Witsel, two unexpected scorers scored, who were almost considered to be out of action in the summer.
BVB’s B eleven comes up trumps
But Borussia’s renewed injury woes recently flushed both into the starting eleven, as did several other benchwarmers. The back four consisted of Passlack, Can, Pongracic and Schulz in the past two games, but did not concede a single goal. The injuries and corona infections of key players like Haaland, Hummels, Akanji, Zagadou, Guerreiro, Meunier, Reus and Reyna in recent weeks would have brought more than a few teams to their knees. But BVB is used to such setbacks this season and has had the appropriate response with good results eimal.
Dortmund facts & analysis
– 2nd place in the Bundesliga, 56 points.
– Last won 1:0 in Mainz
– Unbeaten for 5 league games, including 4 wins
Predicted lineup – last update on March 18, 2022
1. FC Köln has to cope with two painful absences in the form of captain Jonas Hector and perennial striker Florian Kainz, both of whom have contracted Covid-19. Jannes Horn is therefore likely to start at left back, Thielmann, Andersson and Duda are options in place of Kainz. For Dortmund, the recently so stable back four could remain unchanged for the time being despite the foreseeable return of Hummels and Guerreiro. If Haaland is also allowed to start, Wolf would probably have to make way. Brandt and Reyna are also other options, while Reus and Akanji will probably have to miss out again. Dahoud is also missing after his fifth yellow card.
Cologne – Dortmund direct comparison & statistics
A whole 96 matches have already been played between 1. FC Köln and Borussia Dortmund, 91 of them in the Bundesliga. As expected, BVB is ahead overall and has 40 victories. The Cologne team has won 31 games, while 25 others have ended in draws. The first leg went 2-0 to Dortmund.
– The average number of goals scored in a clash between 1. FC Köln and Borussia Dortmund is 3.8.
– The average number of goals scored in the first half in matches between 1. FC Köln and Borussia Dortmund is 1.4.
– None of the teams conceded a goal in the last match.
– The comparisons between the two clubs last season: 2-2 (home for 1. FC Köln) and 1-2 (home for Borussia Dortmund).
– 1. FC Köln celebrated the last home win against Borussia Dortmund in 2015.
