Dortmund 🆚 Kol'n

Borussia Dortmund, aiming for a top-four spot, will be facing FC Koln at RheinEnergieStadion in the Bundesliga this Saturday. This encounter marks their first meeting since the season's opening weekend in August last year, where Dortmund secured a narrow 1-0 win at Westfalenstadion. In their recent game, Koln missed an opportunity to climb out of the relegation zone, settling for a 1-1 draw against Heidenheim. Despite David Selke scoring his fifth goal of the season and putting Koln ahead, Heidenheim managed to equalize through a second-half goal from substitute Adrian Beck. This result continued Koln's trend of dropping points from winning positions, occurring for the fifth time this season. Currently 17th in the table, level on points with Mainz 05 in the relegation playoff position, and three points behind Union Berlin in 15th, Koln faces a challenging situation. Timo Schultz's team, winning just one of their last nine league games since October, aims to improve their standing in the Bundesliga. The club is also grappling with a transfer embargo for two full seasons, following a recent ruling by the Court for Arbitration of Sport (CAS), adding to the difficulties faced by Schultz in steering the team clear of relegation. Koln's performance on home turf becomes crucial for their survival, having secured six of their 11 points in the last five matches at RheinEnergieStadion. Additionally, they have only lost two of their last eight home encounters with Dortmund, providing optimism as they approach Saturday's match. The hosts have been unable to secure a win in their last four league matches and, following the winter break, started their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Heidenheim last week. Koln initially took the lead with a goal from Davie Selke in the 29th minute, but Heidenheim's Adrian Beck equalized, marking his first goal of the season. Contrastingly, the visitors enjoyed a 3-0 victory over Darmstadt in their first post-winter break game, ending a four-game winless streak in the league. Julian Brandt scored in the 27th minute, and Marco Reus and Youssoufa Moukoko added goals in the second half. Currently, the hosts sit second from the bottom in the league table with 11 points from 17 games, while the visitors hold fifth place with 30 points, trailing league leaders Bayer Leverkusen by 15 points. In their 127 encounters across all competitions since 1950, the visitors have the upper hand with 52 wins, compared to the hosts' 41 wins; 34 matches concluded in draws. Last season, both teams secured home victories in the Bundesliga, with Borussia Dortmund continuing the trend with a 1-0 win in the campaign opener in August. Koln has struggled offensively this season, scoring only 11 times in 17 league games. Despite being unbeaten in their last three home meetings against Dortmund, the hosts have failed to score in four of their last six league matches, conceding six times in that span. On the other hand, the visitors have only won one of their last five away games in the Bundesliga, with one loss and three draws. The Billy Goats have experienced a poor run of form, securing just one win in their last nine league games and scoring only once in their last four outings. With only one win in their last 14 home games in the Bundesliga, Koln faces challenges. Top-scorer Davie Selke sustained a foot injury in the previous match and will be sidelined for at least a month. Luca Waldschmidt is also nursing an injury, and Mark Uth is unlikely to start due to a knee issue. Die Borussen ended a six-game winless streak across all competitions last week and aim to maintain that momentum in this match. While three of their eight Bundesliga wins this season came in away games, only one of their three losses occurred in away fixtures.

Great atmosphere as the game is underway.