Our next opponents: What Funkel can build on

Position

Events happened quickly following the unfortunate 3-2 defeat against FSV Mainz 05. The club parted company with coach Markus Gisdol on the same evening and his successor Friedhelm Funkel was presented on the following Monday. The name of the game in Cologne is to secure top-flight status through routine and experience. Funkel probably has more of that than any other currently available coach in Germany. At the same time: Funkel announced in 2020 that he was ending his coaching career after finishing at Fortuna Düsseldorf. He imagined retirement differently and then the pandemic hit – and now the 67-year-old is back in the Bundesliga. At least for six games.

Funkel has the task of keeping a team up who have not won any of their last eight games and, with the defeat against Mainz, slipped into a direct relegation spot for the second time this season. "It's important to keep calm and work with the team with confidence," stated Funkel when he took up his post on Monday. During this difficult phase he believes he can "give security" to the team. And who else other than Funkel could manage that? The derby against the Werkself will be his 511th match as a Bundesliga coach with only five others managing more games in Germany's top flight. Funkel has also come full circle: His last Bundesliga match in charge was in January 2020 against – Bayer 04.

Personnel

Funkel takes over at FC Köln at a point that is not too unfavourable in terms of personnel. The injury list that his predecessor Gisdol had to struggle with for a long time during this season has recently eased. Sebastian Andersson and Florian Kainz both celebrated returning to the starting eleven after a long time on the sidelines due to injury and they are amongst the most impressive offensive players. Andersson was ruled out for over three months with a knee injury but now finally brings his presence as a genuine centre forward back to FC Köln's game after they have often played with a false nine in his absence. For the winger Kainz it was his first start of the whole season. The Austrian had not been back on the pitch for nine months following a knee operation and he was sorely missed due to his pace.

In central defender Sebastiaan Bornauw another key player in the team returned against Mainz – albeit only as a substitute. The Belgian, who was out of action for two and a half months with a complicated back injury, could be an option to start against the Werkself under certain circumstances. That means Funkel is only missing one regular first choice: Creative midfielder Ondrej Duda is suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card in the game against Mainz. Winger Ismail Jakobs was injured on Monday. The U21 international suffered a ligament injury and will definitely be sidelined at the weekend.

Performers

The defensive midfield has probably been the strongest part of the team this season. The fact FC Köln are where they are now is definitely not due to Jonas Hector and Ellyes Skhiri. Hector, as captain and long-standing international, is indispensable to the Cologne team with his experience and vision with his fellow player Skhiri already enjoying a reputation in the Bundesliga as a miracle runner. The Tunisia international has covered the most distance by far of all the players this season. On average he runs an incredible 12.89 kilometres per game. Skhiri also poses a serious threat from set pieces and he is equal top scorer for FC Köln the season with five goals. He scored with his head in the 3-2 defeat against Mainz – from a free kick taken by Hector.

Problems

It could be that FC Köln lack creativity in attack without Duda – as was the case in the meeting earlier in the season. The Slovakian was suspended for that game and the Cologne team had hardly any chances in the brilliant 4-0 win for the Werkself. With five goals, Duda is not only equal top scorer with Skhiri and Elvis Rexhbecaj but also the top provider in the team with five assists. It will be difficult to replace the inspirational figure particularly given that FC Köln have scored the third lowest number of goals in the league. It will also be problematic for the team that enjoys less possession: FC Köln are the only team in the Bundesliga this term not to score a goal from a counter-attack.

Prediction

Bringing in Funkel certainly makes sense from an FC Köln perspective. The experienced coach will give the team an advantage in terms of the relegation battle as he has often been successful in the past. In spite of the three-point gap to the play-off spot, it is entirely possible that might be achievable. In the last three games under Gisdol, FC Köln were on the up and produce good performances – even though that was not reflected in the results. With the return of Bornauw, Kainz and Andersson, Funkel also has more quality available. Not bad preconditions for a turnaround but also no guarantee. Everybody at FC Köln is clear: It will be a tough job in the next few weeks.