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1. FC Köln vs. Borussia Mönchengladbach
In the Bundesliga, the hotly anticipated Rhineland derby between 1. FC Köln and Borussia from Mönchengladbach will take place on Saturday. Kick-off at the RheinEnergieSTADION in Cologne is at 3:30 pm.
The two teams are currently separated by three places and three points in the Bundesliga table. Gladbach (in 9th place with 18 points) have found their feet under new coach Adi Hütter after a bumpy start to the season and have been among the hottest teams in the Bundesliga at least since their 5-0 Cup victory over Bayern.
Before the season, 1. FC Köln (12th with 15 points) was still a relegation candidate. New coach Steffen Baumgart, however, has turned the Geißböcken into a serious Bundesliga team that is currently five points ahead of the relegation zone. With a win on Saturday, Cologne could draw level with Gladbach in terms of points. Find out our prediction for the Rhine derby in our Cologne vs Gladbach betting tips.
Cologne – Gladbach info
– Date & Time: 27.11.2021, at 15:30 hrs.
– Venue: Cologne, RheinEnergieSTADION (up to 50,000 spectators)
– Competition: Bundesliga, Matchday 13
– TV broadcast: SKY
Cologne Form & Balance Check
1. FC Köln have had to play against in-form teams in their last four Bundesliga games, but have managed to sell themselves well in each encounter. They drew against Bayer Leverkusen (2:2), Union Berlin (2:2) and FSV Mainz 05 (1:1) during this period. They only conceded a defeat in Dortmund (0:2). All four teams are currently in the top 8 of the Bundesliga. The next opponent of this calibre awaits them on Saturday in Gladbach (9th).
Anthony Modeste on fire
Anthony Modeste is one of the reasons for Cologne’s good season. The Frenchman has scored six goals in the last five competitive games. Against Leverkusen (2:2), VFB Stuttgart (2:0) and Union Berlin (2:2), he scored a brace each time. In total, the 33-year-old has scored ten goals and set up another in 14 games for Cologne this season.
Cologne facts & analysis
– vulnerable defensively: conceded at least one goal in every Bundesliga match.
– not winning is better than losing: draws in three of the last five games
– Strong at home: unbeaten in six Bundesliga home games (3 wins & 3 defeats)
Gladbach form & balance check
Everyone still has Gladbach’s 5:0 spectacle in the cup against Bayern in their minds and hopefully they won’t forget it so quickly either. On Saturday, exactly one month has passed since then and a lot has happened. Breel Embolo, matchwinner against Bayern, is injured again and is currently being replaced by Alessane Pléa. However, Pléa has made a good contribution with two goals and an assist in the last three games. Gladbach are unbeaten in four games, including the Bayern game. It is their longest streak in the season so far. In their last three Bundesliga games, they beat both promoted teams from Bochum (2:1) and Fürth (4:0) and drew 1-1 at surprise team Mainz.
Bayern and Dortmund scare
Gladbach are unbeaten against the absolute top teams in the Bundesliga this season. Already on the first matchday they had to play against FC Bayern Munich (1:1). The Gladbachers sold themselves well and could even have won with a bit more luck. They made up for it in the second round of the DFB Cup. But Gladbach has also won against the second-placed team in the table, Borussia from Dortmund, this season. Two months ago, they beat BVB 1:0 at home.
Gladbach facts & analysis
– Upward trend: unbeaten for four games now
– in goal-scoring mood: twelve goals in the last four games
– weak away: won only one of six Bundesliga away games (1 draw & 4 defeats)
Predicted line-up – last update on 25 November 2021
At Borussia Mönchengladbach, most of the players are fit again after the injury misery at the beginning of the season. At the moment, Adi Hütter only has to do without two potential regulars in Breel Embolo and Christoph Kramer. However, it remains to be seen whether Alessane Pléa and Emmanuel Kouadio Koné will be so easily ousted from the starting eleven again after recent strong performances.
1. FC Köln, on the other hand, will have to do without its regular goalkeeper Timo Horn until at least the end of the year. He will be replaced by substitute Marvin Schwäbe until then. Otherwise, Steffen Baumgart can draw from a full range of options. Ellyess Skhiri, who has recovered, will return against Gladbach. It remains to be seen whether this will be enough for a starting eleven.
Cologne – Gladbach direct comparison & Statistics
The Rhineland derby between 1. FC Köln and Borussia from Mönchengladbach is a match with a very long tradition. In total, the two teams have already met 109 times. It is precisely because of Gladbach’s strong phase in the 1970s that they have a relatively clear lead in the eternal comparison, with 57 wins to 20 draws and 32 defeats. In recent years, however, the balance is almost even. Of the last five games, Gladbach have won three and Cologne two.
– in the last eleven direct duels between Gladbach and Cologne there has not been a draw.
– in the last three direct duels between Gladbach and Cologne there have always been at least three goals scored
– Cologne are unbeaten in all Bundesliga home games this season (3 wins & 3 draws)
Gladbach have won only one of their six away games (1 draw & 4 defeats).
