Borussia Mönchengladbach – 1.FC Köln
On Saturday afternoon, it’s derby time again in the Bundesliga. Borussia Mönchengladbach will host 1. FC Köln. We are looking forward to an exciting match in which everything is at stake, especially for Cologne. The foals still have a score to settle, as they lost the first leg 3-1. Find out in our Gladbach – Cologne betting tip whether they can hope for revenge or whether Cologne will come out on top again.
Gladbach drew 1-1 against FSV Mainz 05 on the last matchday, a draw that didn’t really help either team, and the team from the Lower Rhine must continue to try and collect points to avoid falling into the relegation battle.
Cologne are still stuck there. Last weekend, they lost their other derby against Bayer Leverkusen 2:0. Their arch-rivals and upcoming opponents from Gladbach are already nine points away and it’s getting tight for the Cologne side to reach the safety zone. A win at Borussia-Park would certainly provide a boost for the final spurt of the season
Gladbach – Cologne info
- Date & Time: 09.03.2024, 15:30 hrs.
- Playing venue: Borussia-Park, Mönchengladbach
- Competition: Bundesliga, 25th matchday
- TV broadcast/livestream: Sky
Gladbach Form & Balance Check
The recent draw meant Borussia failed to really distance themselves from the bottom of the table. Even though they are nine points clear of the relegation places, the foals have seen first-hand in recent weeks how a period of weakness over a few games can affect their position in the table.
Three matchdays ago, Gladbach were in 15th place after five games without a win, but with four points from their last two games, they are now on 26 points and in twelfth place. With a win, Gladbach could finally keep the dangerous zone at bay, while a defeat would see them take a step back again
Bad against the bad
One of Gladbach’s problems this season is that they often fail to perform well against supposedly weaker teams. In the current season, Borussia have been unable to beat any of the three teams in the relegation places and have picked up just four points from their five games against the three teams in the basement so far.
In their Bundesliga history, Gladbach have never picked up as few points against teams in the relegation places as they have this season. Against Cologne, coach Gerardo Seoane’s team have the opportunity to improve this statistic and at least pick up a win against the bottom three teams
Gladbach facts & analysis
- Table position twelve
- Last game draw
- Only one win from the last seven games
Cologne Form & Balance Check
FC are still in the relegation battle and face the same task week after week. Wins are needed if Cologne are to escape the relegation zone. The last four games have resulted in two draws and two defeats. This leaves the team on 17 points and eight points behind 15th place.
FSV Mainz, in 17th place, are now breathing down Cologne’s neck and the Billy Goats are already in danger of slipping into a direct relegation spot this weekend. The team of coach Timo Schultz, who took over the reins at the winter break and has only managed one win, has ten games left to turn things around and start a short run
Returnees must compensate for suspensions
On Saturday, coach Schultz will have to do without three regular players. In addition to the injured Justin Diehl, Jan Thielmann and Dejan Ljubicic are both suspended. The focus will therefore shift to the potential returnees. Striker Davie Selke in particular should return to action against Gladbach.
However, it is questionable whether he will make the first eleven. Florian Kainz, who was recently relegated to the bench, should be back in the starting eleven. The Austrian converted two penalties in the first leg against Gladbach, making him the match-winner. What’s more, Gladbach are the Bundesliga team against whom Kainz has scored the most goals
Cologne facts & analysis
- 16th place in the table
- Last game lost
- Not won in four games
We expect Gladbach to play with a back three compared to the game against Mainz. In the 3-5-2, Stefan Lainer will have to make way for the more offensive-minded Luca Netz. Otherwise, we don’t expect any changes to the starting line-up. Nathan N’Goumou moves a little more centrally from the wing and forms a front two with Jordan Siebatcheu.
Cologne will play in a 4-3-3 system. The back four remains unchanged from the game against Leverkusen last weekend. In the center, we expect Kainz back in the starting eleven, as well as Denis Huseinbašić. Coach Schlutz will be without Thielmann in attack. It is still questionable whether Davie Selke will be able to make a starting appearance, otherwise Steffen Tigges would still be an option
Gladbach – Cologne head-to-head & stats
104 derbies have already been played between Gladbach and Cologne. The Foals have won significantly more often, claiming a total of 54 victories against FC. Cologne, on the other hand, have been victorious 30 times, while 20 games have ended in a draw. However, Cologne have often been better in the last five meetings, winning three and drawing one. In addition to the Bundesliga, Bundesliga 2 and DFB Cup, the clubs also met four times in the UEFA Cup in the 1970s. The very first encounter took place in 1965. At that time, FC won 3:2.
Direct comparison (H2H)
