1st FC Cologne – VfB Stuttgart
The football week was pretty quiet for German fans, as only two games in the DFB Cup were scheduled. Therefore, everyone is looking forward to another exciting weekend in the Bundesliga. In Cologne-Müngersdorf, tens of thousands of fans will then make the pilgrimage to the RheinEnergieSTADION again on Saturday, hoping for a turnaround at home to the Geißböcken. Whether they will win, however, you can find out in our Cologne – Stuttgart tip.
Cologne also need a sense of achievement, as FC have only picked up one point from their first five league games so far. The stumbling Bremen side also suffered a 1:2 defeat in the previous week. However, their opponents from Swabia are currently in excellent form and are in an outstanding third place in the table with twelve points. Last Friday, VfB also made short work of the promoted Darmstadt side, winning 3-1.
Stuttgart coach Sebastian Hoeneß has also triumphed in all four Bundesliga encounters against Cologne. He has never won so many matches against any other club as a Bundesliga coach. His current opponent also celebrated two victories as a coach in the first two games against the upcoming opponent, i.e. Stuttgart. However, the last three duels with VfB did not go in Steffen Baumgart’s favour.
Cologne – Stuttgart info:
- Date & Time: 30.09.2023, 15:30 hrs.
- Game venue: RheinEnergieSTADION, Cologne
- Competition: Bundesliga, Matchday 6
- TV broadcast: Sky
Cologne Form & Balance Check
Even before the season began, it was clear to Cologne fans that their team would probably not play exhilarating football this season and attack the European places. The goal of the season for the Geißböcken was rather to avoid going down to the 2nd Bundesliga again.
So far, however, the team from Müngersdorf and coach Steffen Baumgart have only succeeded to a limited extent. After five games, FC is still waiting for its first win of the season and is only 16th in the table with one point. In the previous week, the Geißböcke also lost 1:2 in a close match to their direct rivals from Bremen.
Selke should fix it
Davie Selke, as a striker in the service of FC, demonstrated his ability in the last second half of the season by scoring five goals in his first six months in the cathedral city. Despite some injury worries at the beginning of the new season, the 28-year-old was able to register a goal on each of the last two matchdays.
Cologne’s number 27 was successful against Hoffenheim and Bremen, both times against his former clubs. In his youth, the attacker from Schorndorf also briefly striked for VfB and will therefore be aiming to score against his next ex-club on Saturday.
Cologne facts & analysis
- Placed 11th in the league in pre-season.
- Lost 1:2 against Bremen in their last match
- Still without a win in the Bundesliga
Stuttgart form & balance check
In the previous season, VfB Stuttgart narrowly escaped relegation. But this season, under coach Sebastian Hoeneß, the Swabians seem to want to reach new heights. The 5:0 victory against Bochum is emblematic of the VfB’s strong form.
And even the 1:5 defeat in Leipzig the following season did not throw Stuttgart off course. In the last three games in the league, three convincing victories in a row followed for the Swabians. This was also the case the previous week, when VfB defeated Darmstadt 3:1 to move up to third place in the table.
A “silent” hero?
In recent days, all eyes at VfB have logically been on Serhou Guirassy, who took his tally to ten goals after his brace against Darmstadt. Due to his outstanding form at the moment, several rumours about a possible winter transfer of the 27-year-old were already germinating during the week.
One newcomer, however, who is somewhat out of the spotlight due to Guirassy, is pulling the strings in midfield for VfB. Angelo Stiller came to the Neckar from Hoffenheim shortly before the end of the transfer window and is already an integral part of Stuttgart’s centre. With a pass rate of 92.65%, Stiller currently represents the third best value of all midfielders in the league and thus makes the departure of Wataru Endo at the Swabians forget.
Stuttgart facts & analysis
- Won 3:1 against Darmstadt in the previous week
- In 3rd place in the Bundesliga
- Second best offense in the Bundesliga
Predicted lineup – last update on September 29, 2023
Even though things haven’t gone particularly well for FC recently, coach Steffen Baumgart can’t change his starting eleven much due to the lack of alternatives in the squad. Therefore, we expect only a few changes in the starting eleven of the cathedral city. Rasmus Carstensen, however, returns from his yellow-red suspension on Saturday.
At VfB, coach Sebastian Hoeneß has no reason to make many changes to his starting line-up. We therefore expect the same starting eleven against 1. FC Köln as in the previous week. Josha Vagnoman, however, could return to the squad after his injury and initially take a seat on the bench.
Cologne – Stuttgart direct comparison & statistics
In the direct comparison between the two clubs, the hosts from Cologne are slightly ahead. The Geißböcke have won 41 of the 104 meetings, while Stuttgart have won 37 games. The FC, however, failed to win the last three duels.
- The two teams are separated by eleven points in the league.
- The last away win by Stuttgart in Cologne was on 20.02.2021
- Cologne win 31% of halves, Stuttgart win 38%
