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Borussia Dortmund – 1. FC Köln
The last matchday in the Bundesliga before the international break is on the schedule this weekend. The top match of the 25th matchday takes place this week at the Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund. Here, BVB will welcome 1. FC Köln on Saturday at 6:30 pm. Both teams delivered disappointing performances last weekend. Find out which team will find its way back to success on Saturday in our Dortmund vs Cologne tip.
Dortmund got off to a perfect start in 2023, winning their first ten games in the new year. However, after the Champions League round of 16 exit against Chelsea, the next disappointment followed for the Black and Yellows last Saturday. BVB stumbled in the derby against Schalke and could not get beyond a 2-2 draw in Gelsenkirchen.
The opponents from Cologne, however, are currently doing even worse than the hosts. The Geißböcke have been winless in the league for four games and have only picked up a single point in this period. In the previous week, FC even lost 0:2 to Bochum, who are so weak away from home. Cologne thus remain in twelfth place in the table.
Dortmund – Cologne info:
– Date & Time: 18/03/2023, 18:30 hrs.
– Venue: Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund
– Competition: Bundesliga, Matchday 25
– TV broadcast: Sky
Dortmund Form & Balance Check
The shortened first half of the season did not go as planned for BVB. After a few slip-ups, BVB only finished 2022 in sixth place in the table. In the new year, however, things went like clockwork for Edin Terzić’s team. The Borussians won their first ten competitive matches in the new year and fought their way back up to second place in the table.
A fortnight ago on Tuesday, however, BVB lost 2-0 to Chelsea in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 and were eliminated from the competition. And the previous week, Dortmund did not cover itself with glory in the Revier derby, probably the most important match of the year for BVB fans. The Black and Yellows could not get beyond a 2-2 draw against the relegation-threatened Schalke team.
Missing goal instinct
Dortmund now have the second best offence in the Bundesliga behind Bayern again with 49 goals. Nevertheless, BVB cannot currently keep up with the firepower of last season. At the same time last year, Borussia scored 15 goals more. After the loss of Erling Haaland, Borussia Dortmund has a big gap in the attack. Anthony Modeste, who played in heaps in the first half of the season, did not manage to close this gap.
Youssoufa Moukoko, who is only 18, scored the most goals of any Dortmund striker this season with six. In comparison, Haaland already scored 16 goals after 24 matchdays last season, although he missed ten games due to injury. Sebastien Haller, who has recovered from testicular cancer, has also scored only once in the league this season.
Dortmund facts & analysis
– Currently second in the Bundesliga table.
– Still without a Bundesliga defeat in 2023
– Second best offense in the league
Cologne form & balance check
1. FC Köln have struggled with a number of challenges so far this season. After a promising start in the Bundesliga, however, the team faltered towards the end of the Hinrunde, picking up just one point in the last five games before the winter break. In addition, FC was eliminated in the group stage of the UEFA Conference League.
In 2023, things initially went a little better for FC. The Geißböcke remained unbeaten for the first five games of the new year. However, coach Steffen Baumgart’s team only picked up one point from the last four Bundesliga matches. Last Friday, FC lost 0:2 at home to Bochum, a team from the bottom of the league, but Cologne are still in twelfth place in the table.
Cologne’s attacking problem
At the start of the 2023 football year, 1. FC Köln impressed with a convincing victory against Werder Bremen, in which the Geißböcke scored seven goals. The FC offence also showed its skills in the home match against Frankfurt in February, scoring three goals.
However, Cologne’s goal tally is modest if these three games are excluded from the scoring. In the other twelve of the last 14 Bundesliga games, the Geißböcke scored only three goals. In the last four games, the FC even remained completely without a goal. Ellyes Skhiri scored the last Bundesliga goal for the Cathedral City team in the 86th minute against Frankfurt on 12 February.
Cologne facts & analysis
– Only one win in last eight Bundesliga matches.
– Last four in a row without a goal of their own
– Only seven points off the relegation places
Predicted line-up – last update on 16 March 2023
Edin Terzić last played in a 4-3-3, Reus will return to the starting eleven and Kobel’s comeback is also imminent. In addition, Adeyemi could return to the squad. Raphaël Guerreiro last played against Schalke in central midfield and did extremely well. Brandt and Moukoko are still missing due to injury. Emre Can also received his fifth yellow card in the previous week and will therefore sit out against Cologne.
We expect FC to play in a 4-2-3-1 again, with Tigges returning to the forward line against his former club. Kainz and Maina will flank him on the flanks. 1. FC Köln currently have six injured players, namely Kilian, Pedersen, Thielmann, Andersson, Dietz and Uth.
Dortmund – Cologne direct comparison & statistics
The duel between Cologne and Dortmund has a long history. So far, 125 encounters between the two teams have already taken place. BVB has won 50 duels and FC 41, with Cologne also winning the first leg 3:2.
– Both stadiums are only 74 kilometres apart.
– Dortmund are 23 points ahead of Cologne in the league.
– Dortmund with only one home defeat this Bundesliga season
– When Cologne leads 1-0 in away games, they win 71% of the games
