Position
Last weekend’s 1-1 draw away at third-placed VfB Stuttgart was regarded by many as a success for Köln. Coach Schultz spoke afterwards of a worthy point won. “We knew we were up against a good opponent. We invested a lot in defence, but also know we need to step things up again with the ball.” Head of first-team football Thomas Kessler also added: “The point isn’t just important in terms of the table but also for morale. It shows us we’re capable of getting a result against any team.”
The Cologne club may have even managed to snatch a win. After Eric Martel quickly cancelled out Enzo Millot’s second-half opener, Faride Alidou had a great chance to claim victory. However, the substitute only found the side netting after rounding goalkeeper Fabian Bredlow with five minutes remaining. It was Köln’s seventh point in seven games under their new coach. Schultz used to play for St. Pauli and also spent a number of years as coach there. The 46-year-old was most recently in charge of Swiss side Basel before taking over the Werkself’s near neighbours with the team 17th in the Bundesliga table. He’s now lifted them to 16th and the play-off spot. The gap to outright safety in 15th is currently eight points.
Köln have lost only two of their last seven games and now appear more solid. However, they have also managed just one victory over Eintracht Frankfurt (2-0). While the likes of Bochum, Union Berlin and Werder Bremen were still within reach as relegation rivals at the start of the year, they have all moved clear and left the Billy Goats behind. Nevertheless, defender Jeff Chabot sees hope from the draw in Stuttgart: “Every point is extremely valuable in a relegation battle. We took on the fight and threw all we had. We need to build on that next week. We can muster up a huge amount of energy at home with the support of our fans. That helps us and makes life tough for every opponent.”
Personnel
Davie Selke is back in training after missing the past few weeks with a foot injury. However, it’s not yet clear whether the striker, who scored both Köln goals in their 2-1 win in Leverkusen last season, will be fit in time for Sunday. He remains the team’s top scorer this term with five goals.
The Cologne club will also be without forwards Luca Waldschmidt (broken leg) and Mark Uth (knee). Neither are expected to be back before the March international break. Timo Hübers missed the Stuttgart game with a stomach bug but should once again partner Chabot at centre-back. Denis Huseinbasic and Martel are likely to be the two holding midfielders in their 4-2-3-1 formation. Captain Florian Kainz has been the central figure of the three, flanked by Dejan Ljubicic and 19-year-old Justin Diehl, who made his first start last weekend. Jan Thielmann should lead the line once again.
Performers
Köln have scored more than half of their goals this season from set pieces (nine out of 16). They are, though, among the best at defending dead balls, conceding only seven times as a result. The Billy Goats rank ninth in the Bundesliga for goals conceded with 37, while they are among the top five for distance covered each game.
Problems
Köln have the Bundesliga’s worst attack this season with only 16 goals scored. They have in fact failed to net in 10 games out of 23 – only Union have drawn more blanks this term. Once their strength, headers have dried up across the Rhine with only two such goals. Their counter-attacking play has also been a struggle as they are yet to score as a result in 2023/24. And when they fall behind, they tend to go on and lose the game. Only twice have the Billy Goats managed a draw when they’ve trailed in a game. Their total of just two points from losing positions is the lowest in the division.
Prediction
Selke, who has been so sorely missed of late, has been hopeful: “We’ve stabilised, especially in defence. It’s definitely been a positive development. We now need to continue working on it.” The striker has shown particular respect for the coming opponents from Leverkusen, but remains optimistic: “It’ll be demanding, but we’ll create our plan and go into the game to win.” Despite the fact that it’s the Bundesliga worst attack against its best defence at the RheinEnergieStadion on Sunday, those stats become irrelevant in the emotional atmosphere of a derby. “The fans will be very important for us, especially in the final weeks of the season when it really heats up,” Selke added. “That can be a huge advantage for us. It’s our job to pull them along on our road to survival.”
Köln follow this clash against the Werkself with another derby in Mönchengladbach and at home to RB Leipzig prior to the international break. But regardless of opponent, the Cologne club need points immediately. “Our goal is to at least have a chance of staying up via the play-off,” said Kessler.
