1. FC Koln vs Borussia Dortmund Preview: Probable Lineups, Prediction, Tactics, Team News & Key Stats

Borussia Dortmund will try to remain in the hunt in the Bundesliga race when they visit 1. FC Koln on Saturday.

Borussia Dortmund will face another significant test when they lock horns with 1. FC Koln in their next game on Saturday afternoon. They have kept pace with table toppers Union Berlin simultaneously and are just two points adrift of the league leaders currently.

Dortmund wrapped up an excellent victory over arch-rivals Schalke just before the international break and would want to continue from where they left. On the other hand, Koln’s good start to the season has somewhat diminished in the last couple of matches as they failed to grind up a victory against Union Berlin and VfL Bochum.

They were the first side to concede a point as the relegation contenders escaped with a valuable point. That draw could prove to be a costly affair in Koln’s aspirations as they are also participating in the Europa Conference League.

Dortmund’s sole priority has been to end Bayern Munich’s monopoly in the German top flight, and this season it seems they have finally managed to snatch the bragging rights from them. They are sitting pretty comfortably in the second position with 15 points in seven games, and they are within the reach of Union Berlin, who have emerged as the surprise package this season.

It remains to be seen whether they manage to push their limits throughout this season, but Dortmund need to be on their heels if they are to have any kind of chance this season.

Goals have been scarce for Koln this campaign, and the departure of Anthony Modeste to Dortmund might be one of the reasons. But the experienced striker has not found the net for his new side and will be hoping to open the account against his former side.

Dortmund are adamant to end their trophy drought, and Bayern’s woeful form opened a gilt-edged chance to capture the domestic crown after a gap of 11 years.

Team News and Tactics

1. FC Koln

Koln have a long list of injuries as they will be without the service of Timo Horn, Mark Uth, Julian Chabot, Mathias Olesen, Dimitrios Limnios and Sebastian Andersson.

Marvin Schwabe will keep his place in the goal. Benno Schmitz and Jonas Hector will run their errands from the right and left sides of the defence, respectively. Luca Kilian and Timo Hubers will be the preferred choice in the backline to be the two full-backs.

Eric Martel and Ellyes Skhiri will run the two-man midfield, and with a player like Jude Bellingham in the opposite ranks, the Koln midfielders have to be very mindful of their doings.

Jan Thielmann will be in his usual right-wing position, while Dejan Ljubicic will be in a more advanced position as he will be lined just behind the main striker. Florian Kainz will start on the left wing, and Steffen Tigges will be the farthest man upfront for Koln against Dortmund.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Schwabe; Schmitz, Hubers, Kilian Hector; Skhiri, Martel; Thielmann, Ljubicic, Kainz; Tigges

Borussia Dortmund

Following Borussia Dortmund’s dominating win over Schalke, Edin Terzic lost Marco Reus for a prolonged period as the German international suffered an ankle injury which will keep him in the treatment room for a long time.

First-choice goalkeeper Gregor Kobel is still not match fit, while Giovanni Reyna is also declared out for at least a week. Mateu Morey, Mahmoud Dahoud and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens are also not in contention to feature for Dortmund due to various injuries.

Alexander Meyer is slated to start in the goal in Kobel’s absence. Marius Wolf will go back to his original position at right-back, while Raphael Guerreiro will claim the left-back position.

Nico Schlotterbeck and Mats Hummels have been dealing with threats with ease, and they will be the central defensive pairing in this match. Salih Ozcan is dealing with a muscular issue but is likely to be fit in time to make it to the match. He will appear in the midfield alongside Jude Bellingham who is having a terrific season so far.

Karim Adeyemi will be on the right flank, and Donyell Malen will make his stride from the left. Thorgan Hazard will be the number 10 against Koln. Anthony Modeste will try to find his scoring boots against former club Koln.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Meyer; Wolf, Schlotterbeck, Hummels, Guerreiro; Ozcan, Bellingham; Adeyemi, Hazard, Malen; Modeste

Key Stats

• Koln have drawn five and lost five and won just one in their last 11 meetings with Borussia Dortmund.
• Koln have five draws this season, while Borussia Dortmund are yet to play out a draw in the Bundesliga.
• Koln have been defeated just once in their first seven games, a feat they also achieved last season.
• Only Bayern Munich (58) have faced fewer shots than Koln (65) and Borussia Dortmund (76, same as Eintracht Frankfurt) this season, while Koln have faced the fewest shots on target (21). Last time out, Dortmund had an xGA of just 0.07 against Schalke, the lowest value for any Bundesliga club since the start of last season.
• Anthony Modeste has averaged just 23 touches per 90 minutes this season, a league low (min. 300 minutes – averaged 27 last season). He has averaged 2.2 shots per game this term (0.3 xG), compared to 3.7 for Koln last season (0.7 xG). Modeste has scored once in 498 Bundesliga minutes for BVB, whereas he needed just 131 minutes per league goal in 2021/22.

Player to Watch

Jude Bellingham

There have been very fewer players more consistent than Jude Bellingham this season. The Borussia Dortmund midfielder has probably covered each and every point of the ground and gave a majestic performance in their 2-1 defeat against Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League.

With some players missing, Borussia Dortmund will bank heavily on the youngster to get their winning run going. Expect Bellingham to make an impression against 1. FC Koln on Saturday in the Bundesliga game.

Predictions

1. FC Koln 0-2 Borussia Dortmund

Despite Anthony Modeste’s lack of form in front of the goal, Borussia Dortmund have found unlikely scorers in matches. Their Bundesliga form has not dipped that much, and they should ease away with a win against 1. FC Koln. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 victory for Edin Terzic’s men.