Bundesliga: Koln Might Provide a Tricky Test for Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund vs Koln

The race for this season’s Bundesliga is reaching fever pitch, and fans from the Yellow Wall have the right to feel that this might be the year, as they have yet to lose a league game so far in 2023.

But Borussia Dortmund’s title charge hit a snag when they were held last weekend, so they’re looking to bounce back when Koln visit them this Saturday.

Following their 2-2 draw against Schalke, Borussia Dortmund remain in second place with 50 points, only trailing by two behind defending champions Bayern Munich.

Their visitors, Koln, meanwhile, are in poor form as they’ve fallen to 12^th place with 27 points. It’s been a tough stretch for the Billy Goats because they’ve had bad Bundesliga 2023 results this past month.

Talking Points

BVB’s unheralded stars taking the spotlight

Julian Brandt is becoming one of the most sought-after names in the transfer market because he is in the form of his life right now.

Typically known as a winger, the 26-year-old went out of his comfort zone, playing as either an attacking midfielder or central midfielder. And making the shift has been the right move since Brandt is now the team’s leading scorer so far with nine goals and five assists.

Brandt was sidelined in their draw against Schalke due to a hamstring injury, which was a big miss for Borussia Dortmund. BVB are hoping that he’ll be available this Saturday.

A report from 90min claims that Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Newcastle United, and Napoli have watched Brandt closely this season, but Borussia Dortmund are determined to give him a new deal before his current contract expires in 2024.

Another BVB player who’s making noise in the transfer market is Raphael Guerreiro. The Portuguese wing-back is their top playmaker this season with eight assists, and he also has four goals.

Like Brandt, Guerreiro’s current contract with BVB will expire in 2024, so several Premier League, Bundesliga, and La Liga clubs are monitoring the situation.

While much of the attention goes to Jude Bellingham, Koln may have to keep an eye on Julian Brandt and Raphael Guerreiro, as both are genuine threats in the final third as well as in the middle of the pitch.

Koln struggling for goals

Koln’s lack of scoring is a concern because of the attacking talent Steffen Baumgart has at his disposal.

Since their 3-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt last February, the Billy Goats haven’t scored in four consecutive games, which has resulted in three losses and one draw.

Steffen Tigges is leading the team in scoring with six goals, but he has yet to find the back of the net since their 7-1 blowout of Werder Bremen last January.

Koln have proven that they’re a tough nut to crack because of their robust midfield and defencive unit, but the lack of a prolific forward is going to be the main reason why they won’t make it back to the top half of the table.

History

Koln caught Borussia Dortmund by surprise when they beat them 3-2 in their reverse fixture last October.

It was a game that featured four different goal scorers. Florian Kainz, Steffen Tigges, and Dejan Ljubicic scored for Koln, while Julian Brandt netted for BVB, and there was an own goal by Benno Schmitz.

BVB have won just one of their last five Bundesliga matches against Koln (D2, L2). But since the start of the 1991-92 season, Borussia Dortmund have lost just one of 22 Bundesliga home matches against Koln (a 2-1 defeat in November 2020).

And the Yellow Wall have won each of their last six Bundesliga home games, while the Billy Goats are winless in their last nine Bundesliga away games (D4, L5) for the first time since 2017.

Betting Tip

The SBOTOP Bundesliga 2023 odds have Borussia Dortmund as the favourites to win this contest, as they’re installed at 1.43, while Koln are priced at 6.00, and a draw is at 4.20 in the 1X2 market.

Bayern Munich will probably keep tabs on this match because if Borussia Dortmund win, they’ll be behind their Yellow Wall rivals, at least in the meantime.

A win for Koln, meanwhile, would ruin Borussia Dortmund’s plans. However, it’s hard to see them doing so since BVB have been virtually unbeatable against the Billy Goats at Signal Iduna Park.

It’s also worth noting that Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund will face off on the next matchday, which will be on April 2.

 

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