Bundesliga: Koln Out to Wreck Werner’s Red Bulls Return

RB Leipzig vs Koln

Despite taking an early lead, RB Leipzig were unable to get off to a winning start in the new Bundesliga season as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Stuttgart last weekend.

But with a certain Timo Werner expected to make his return, the Red Bulls will be ready to get their first win of the season in front of their home fans as they host Koln this weekend.

Koln got their season off to a fine start as they smashed newly promoted Schalke 3-1. But the Bundesliga 2022 betting odds will have the Billy Goats as big underdogs when they visit Red Bull Arena.

Talking Points

Werner in line to make Leipzig return

RB Leipzig will be kicking themselves that they did not start the season with a win over Stuttgart. They took an early lead through star forward Christopher Nkunku and absolutely bossed the match with 68 per cent possession and 28 total shots. But despite that domination, they were still held to a 1-1 draw.

However, the last week’s Bundesliga 2022 news should help relieve some of the Red Bulls fans’ disappointment.

Not only did Leipzig secure a deal that will bring promising young striker Benjamin Sesko over from Red Bull Salzburg next season, but they also re-signed Timo Werner just two seasons after selling him to Chelsea.

Werner had an underwhelming time in the Premier League as he scored just 10 goals in 56 total games, but his goalscoring credentials in the Bundesliga are bonafide. Werner banged in an impressive 78 goals in his 127 league appearances in his first stint at Leipzig and will be keen to add more this season.

It remains to be seen whether Leipzig coach Domenico Tedesco will opt to start Werner against Koln after just a couple of days’ training. But at the very least, Werner should be available to come on as a substitute, adding to Leipzig’s already loaded bench that could also include Dominik Szoboszlai, Emil Forsberg, and Alexander Sorloth.

Koln look to overcome Modeste, Ozcan loss

Koln are coming off a fine Bundesliga campaign which saw them finish in seventh, their highest finish since coming in fifth in 2016-17.

Just like in that 16-17 season, striker Anthony Modeste was a massive part of that success as he led the team with 20 goals; the team’s second-leading scorer – Mark Uth – finished with just five.

However, Koln sold Modeste as well as another key player in defensive midfielder Salih Ozcan to Borussia Dortmund this summer, which have severely weakened the squad on paper.

But despite losing those two stars, Koln still took care of business with a 3-1 opening-day win over newly promoted Schalke.

It certainly helped that Schalke went down to 10 men just after half an hour when Dominick Drexler was sent off. But Steffen Baumgart’s side fully capitalised on their man advantage as they attempted an astounding 32 shots.

The starting front two of Jan Thielmann and Florian Dietz impressed as they combined for nine shots. Attacking midfielder Dejan Ljubicic added five, including a goal.

However, Koln will not see nearly as much of the ball in Leipzig and will instead be mostly on the defensive away against the Red Bulls.

History

Leipzig and Koln have squared off 10 times in total in the Bundesliga. The Red Bulls hold a 5-2 edge in wins, while there have been three draws.

Leipzig went unbeaten against Koln in their two meetings last season. After a 1-1 draw in the first match at Koln, the Red Bulls ran riot at home as they own 3-1.

Betting Tip

SBOTOP odds have RB Leipzig installed as significant 1.42 favourites to win their home opener. A Koln win is priced at 6.80 while a draw is 4.60.

After failing to beat Stuttgart last weekend, look for Leipzig to come out with a greater sense of urgency in their home opener – with or without Werner in the starting lineup.

And while Koln looked decent against a 10-man Schalke, it seems unlikely that they will be able to handle a top side like Leipzig quite as well without either Modeste or Ozcan in the side.

 

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