Two sides with contrasting Bundesliga ambitions this season will face off in the opening match of this weekend's fixtures as FC Koln prepare to take on RB Leipzig on Friday evening.
The hosts will enter this match in the sole relegation playoff spot with 18 points after 25 games, while the visitors are in fifth place with 46 points earned over the same period.
Match preview
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After finishing the 2022-23 campaign safely in mid-table, this season has been significantly more challenging for Koln, who could end gameweek 26 in the relegation zone if they lose this match and Mainz overcome Bochum on Saturday afternoon.
The Billy Goats would have been five points clear of the drop had they managed to beat Borussia Monchengladbach last weekend, but despite taking the lead twice in that match, their defensive frailties saw them pegged back both times before having to come from behind to salvage a 3-3 draw.
That result extended their current winless league run to five matches, including three draws and two losses, while they have only secured one victory in their last 12 league games, which came in a 2-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt at the start of February.
Their poor performances this season led to the departure of Steffen Baumgart at the end of December with Timo Schultz being brought in to steady the ship. However, the new boss's home record has been average at best since his appointment, with just one win, one draw and three losses posted in his first five games in charge at RheinEnergieStadion.
Schultz will now have to prepare his side to face an opponent that thrashed them 6-0 in the reverse fixture back in October last year, which marked their joint-heaviest defeat in the German top flight in over four decades.
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Meanwhile, after a rough start to the New Year, RB Leipzig seem to be finding top gear again and head into this weekend's fixture having managed back-to-back league wins for the first time in 2024.
The first was a 4-1 win over Bochum on the road at the start of the month, followed by a 2-0 victory over relegation favourites Darmstadt last week, which kept them just one point behind Borussia Dortmund, who are currently holding down the fourth and final Champions League qualification spot.
With 55 goals scored in the league to date, Die Roten Bullen currently have the league's fourth-best attack and only once scored more goals at this stage of the season, which was in the 2019-20 campaign when they went on to finish third in the final rankings.
However, the visitors' away record of late has been less impressive as they have failed to keep a clean sheet on the road since September and have managed just one win in their last five, along with two draws and two losses.
Still, they will gain huge confidence from their seven-match unbeaten record against this opponent and a win here will allow them to pile the pressure on BVB, who have a very tricky fixture against sixth-placed Frankfurt on Sunday evening.
Team News
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Koln's poor discipline could cost them in this match, with Jan Thielmann serving the second of his three-match ban for the straight red he received against Bayer Leverkusen at the start of the month.
In addition, Timo Hubers and Dejan Ljubicic are also ineligible for selection on Friday owing to an accumulation of yellow cards that sees them suspended for one match each.
In terms of injuries, Justin Diehl (hip), Luca Waldschmidt (knock) and Mark Uth (knee) are unavailable at present and are only expected to return to action during the course of next month.
Leipzig, on the other hand, will have to make do without the services of defender Lukas Klostermann due to a hip injury, which is expected to keep him sidelined until the end of the month.
Mohamed Simakan was withdrawn after picking up a knock in the last five minutes against Darmstadt last week and has been flagged as a doubt for this weekend's encounter.
FC Koln possible starting lineup:
Schwaebe; Carstensen, Chabot, Heintz, Finkgrafe; Martel, Huseinbasic; Alidou, Kainz, Maina; Adamyan
RB Leipzig possible starting lineup:
Gulacsi; Henrichs, Orban, Lukeba, Raum; Elmas, Kampl, Schlager, Simons; Poulsen, Openda
We say: FC Koln 1-3 RB Leipzig
RB Leipzig bounced back well from their Champions League disappointment last week and have an excellent opportunity to move into the top four in the league, with Dortmund taking on Frankfurt later in the weekend. Koln have lost three of their last four home games, and we feel they will struggle to avoid another defeat in this one.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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