Bundesliga: Shorthanded Dortmund Face Tricky Trip to Koln

Koln vs Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund return to Bundesliga action this weekend with hopes of keeping pace with leaders Union Berlin.

The Bundesliga 2022 betting odds will back second-placed BVB to beat mid-table Koln, who have won just one of their last six Bundesliga matches.

However, Dortmund will be without a couple of their key players against Koln – including one they bought from the Billy Goats this summer – as they try to end their winless run at  RheinEnergieStadion.

Talking Points

Modeste to face old club, but Ozcan out

Borussia Dortmund had a busy summer transfer window as they brought in a host of new players to strengthen the spine of their team. And as it so happens, two of their summer signings came from Koln – Anthony Modeste and Salih Ozcan.

Dortmund signed the 34-year-old Modeste to fill in for fellow newcomer Sebastien Haller, who is still recovering from cancer. However, the veteran striker – who scored 20 Bundesliga goals for Koln last season – has had a slow start with Dortmund, scoring just once in his first six league appearances.

Meanwhile, Ozcan has done a much better job settling into the side. The 24-year-old Turkish international has quickly formed a strong partnership with Jude Bellingham at the heart of Dortmund’s midfield, providing more defensive solidity and ball retention.

But Dortmund have suffered a major blow with Ozcan possibly set to miss months due to a foot injury. With Mahmoud Dahoud also out injured, Emre Can looks set to come in and partner Bellingham in midfield against Koln.

Who is Dortmund’s Reus replacement?

Aside from Ozcan, Dortmund also have to deal with the major loss of captain Marco Reus, who suffered an ankle injury in Dortmund’s derby win over Schalke.

The 33-year-old had had a bright start to the season, with two goals and two assists to help BVB into second place in the Bundesliga.

Coach Edin Terzic has a few choices for Reus’s replacement. Giovanni Reyna, who came on in place of Reus in the derby, is the front-runner to get the start. The 19-year-old is in fine form as he has regained his fitness amid a host of injury setbacks.

But with Reyna busy on international duty with the USA during the break, Terzic could opt to rest the American and turn to another teenager, Youssoufa Moukoko, who scored the winner against Schalke. Karim Adeyemi and Thorgan Hazard are two other options to start, although neither is in particularly fine form.

Koln coping with key departures

After a strong seventh-place finish last season led by the brilliance of Modeste and Ozcan, this season will be more of a rebuilding year for Koln and coach Steffen Baumgart.

The Billy Goats brought in a handful of younger players during the summer to help fill the void left by the sale of Modeste and Ozcan. One of their big acquisitions was centre-forward Steffen Tigges, whom they bought from Borussia Dortmund.

Tigges has yet to score a goal in four Bundesliga appearances, but he did get off the mark in the UEFA Conference League.

Despite Modeste’s departure, Koln have done well thus far with 11 goals in their first seven games. Florian Kainz has been delivering the Bundesliga 2022 highlights as he’s had a hand in five of those 11 goals (two goals, three assists).

Meanwhile, Koln have also been quite solid at the back. They currently lead the Bundesliga with just 6.0 expected goals allowed, which means they are surrendering low-quality chances to their opponents.

And that backline will be back to full strength with centre-back Luca Kilian set to return after serving out his one-match suspension in their 1-1 draw at Bochum.

History

Over their last 22 Bundesliga meetings, Borussia Dortmund have won 13 times, with Koln claiming three wins and six draws.

But while BVB have historically dominated Koln, the Billy Goats have been much more competitive in recent years. They have lost just once to Dortmund in their last four meetings, with a win and two draws.

Both of those draws came at the RheinEnergieStadion. Koln held Dortmund to a 1-1 draw last season and the season before that, Dortmund needed a 90th-minute equaliser from Erling Haaland to salvage a 2-2 draw.

Betting Tip

SBOTOP odds have Borussia Dortmund installed as 2.09 favourites against Koln, who are priced at 3.25 to beat BVB for just the second time in seven years. A Draw is at 3.50.

This will be a tricky match for Dortmund. Aside from their recent struggles at Koln as well as the absence of key players, other stars in Jude Bellingham, Nico Schlotterbeck, Niklas Sule and Reyna could be a bit leggy from international duty, which could significantly affect them.

That’s why I’m leaning toward Koln to continue their good run against Dortmund and get another positive result at home.

 

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