Our next opponents: Köln confident and brave coming into cup derby

Position

It wasn’t the greatest performance, but all that mattered was the three points that Köln won in Braunschweig to move back into first place in Bundesliga 2. The Billy Goats had gone behind inside 45 seconds but turned things around in the first half with goals from Eric Martel and Damion Downs. “The reaction to going 1-0 down showed that we’ve become more mature and solid, and don’t let a setback knock us off track,” enthused coach Gerhard Struber. “You can see how tough it is in this division to keep picking up points.” It wasn’t just three points that Köln returned home with but also confidence for Wednesday’s short trip to Leverkusen.

Following last season’s relegation from the Bundesliga, Köln’s start to life back in the second tier was sluggish, but they have since hit their stride. They were down as low as 12th place after a 2-1 loss at home to Paderborn on Matchday 10 – eight points off then-leaders Fortuna Düsseldorf. However, the Billy Goats then won eight out of nine competitive fixtures (D1), with their first loss since then coming two weeks ago against promotion rivals Hamburg (1-0). They then bounced back with a 1-0 win over Elversberg before the weekend’s victory in Braunschweig to reclaim top spot from HSV.

Köln struggled through the first round of the DFB Pokal, being forced into extra-time by 3. Liga side Sandhausen despite holding a 2-0 half-time lead. It was only in the 116th minute that Mathias Olesen ensured progress to a second-round tie with Holstein Kiel. Tim Lemperle and a Luca Waldschmidt brace earned a 3-0 win at home to the newly promoted Bundesliga club. Things were nervy in the last 16 as well, as the Cologne club again needed extra-time, this time at home to fellow Bundesliga 2 side Hertha Berlin. This time it was Dejan Ljubicic who got the decisive goal in the first minute of the additional period to earn a 2-1 victory.

Personnel

Köln made one final move in the winter transfer window with the signing on Monday of centre-forward Imad Rondic from Widzew Lodz in Poland on a deal through to 2029. The 25-year-old Bosnian is available to play at the BayArena but has been ill the past few days. “We need to see how things look for Wednesday,” Struber said, while also being convinced of his new man’s abilities. “Imad is a striker whose strengths are in the box. He brings a few facets that make us more unpredictable.”

However, Struber is without fellow striker Lemperle. The 22-year-old is Köln’s top scorer alongside Downs with eight goals each but is again sidelined by a muscular injury. If Rondic isn’t fit for the trip to the BayArena, Downs will likely be joined in attack by either Linton Maina or Steffen Tigges.

Defenders Luca Kilian (cruciate ligament) and Julian Pauli are also out. The latter has been sidelined since suffering concussion in the last-16 tie against Hertha in December. Jacob Christensen (cruciate ligament) and Mark Uth (calf) are out of action as well. There’s a doubt over Florian Kainz after the experienced midfielder fell awkwardly against Braunschweig and had to go off in the first half. “It’ll be tight for Kainzi on Wednesday, but we’ll try everything,” Struber said at his pre-match press conference. Should Kainz not make it, Waldschmidt is an option in the number 10 position.

Struber has his normal defence available with goalkeeper Marvin Schwäbe, captain Timo Hübers and Dominique Heintz. January signing Joel Schmied has started the last two games in the back three. Jusuf Gazibegovic is another new name and has started every game at right wing-back since joining from Sturm Graz. Leart Paqarada and Max Finkgräfe are the two options on the left. Martel, Ljubicic and Denis Huseinbasic provide options in central midfield.

Problems

Köln’s wins this season haven’t all been hugely convincing. Sizeable victories over Braunschweig (5-0), Schalke (3-1) and Nürnberg (3-1) are more the exception than the rule. They have also struggled at times in build-up play, like in the second half of the weekend’s game against Eintracht. “We weren’t that good on the ball, just knocked it forward quickly. We had problems there,” Tigges said afterwards. It’s no surprise that the Bundesliga 2 leaders aren’t actually the division’s top scorers with 35 goals. In fact there are seven teams who have scored more. But the Billy Goats have made the most of their minimalist approach, and it’s results that ultimately count.

Performers

Struber’s side have won 10 of their last 12 competitive fixtures, with six of those being by a 1-0 scoreline and two by 2-1. They have only conceded six goals in that run, which points to a solid defensive set-up and a mentality that allows them to see out tight results. The Billy Goats have the second-best defence in Bundesliga 2 with 25 goals conceded, after Hannover (21). “You can see the trend of recent weeks. We’re not undeservedly at the top of Bundesliga 2,” said head of first-team football Thomas Kessler. And the visitors will again want to play to their strengths in Leverkusen. “It’s the first time this season we’re real underdogs, but we’re going into this game against one of the best teams in Europe full of excitement,” Struber said. “We can play freely, need good aggression and don’t just want to defend but also be brave, play with pace and take our moments in transition and on the counter. We’ve got nothing to lose.”