Bundesliga: Monday Night is Match Night in Cologne

Koln vs RB Leipzig

More Monday night football in the Bundesliga to look forward to and my expectation is goals galore.

Certainly, it should be an open contest and even the SBOBET Bundesliga betting odds point to a free-scoring away win.

After all, Koln have conceded seven goals in their three Bundesliga matches since the restart, while Christopher Nkunku and Timo Werner have helped RB Leipzig score seven in the last two.

Furthermore, Koln are winless in three, while Leipzig are unbeaten in nine and are hunting a second win in three games.

Football is rarely that straightforward, of course.

Talking Points

For Bundesliga highlights in this, you should look no further than Jhon Cordoba and Werner.

Nine of Cordoba’s 11 Bundesliga goals this season have come at home, whereas 14 of Werner’s 24 strikes have been on the road.

Koln have conceded 7 goals since the restart of Bundesliga — Jhon Cordoba celebrates scoring their second goal against Fortuna Dusseldorf

The man who may make the key difference though is Leipzig skipper Marcel Sabitzer who has been involved in four goals in their five Bundesliga clashes with Cologne, including all three the club have scored at the RheinEnergieStadion.

Patrik Schick will almost certainly lead the line given that Yussuf Poulsen has been ruled out for the rest of the season with an ankle injury. The Dane’s absence also means Werner – who seems set to move to Liverpool this summer – will revert to a slightly deeper role.

Leipzig, who are nine points behind leaders Bayern Munich, also have Marcel Halstenberg suspended, while Ibrahima Konate has suffered a setback on his return from injury and Kevin Kampl is a doubt as he continues to recover from a trapped nerve.

Cologne are in midtable comfort – too far adrift to realistically challenge for a European berth and unlikely to get dragged into a relegation scrap.

They had won three games out of four before the coronavirus-enforced break in play but have struggled to reproduce that form since the restart.

Their midweek loss at Hoffenheim means they have only taken one point from a possible nine over the past fortnight.

This weekend, first-choice centre-back Sebastiaan Bornauw is suspended with Jorge Mere the favourite to replace the Belgian at the back. Captain Jonas Hector, surprisingly dropped against Hoffenheim, should come back into the team.

This is also a management reunion.

When Cologne coach Markus Gisdol saved formed club Hoffenheim from relegation in 2012/13, Julian Nagelsmann was his assistant.

Now Leipzig boss Nagelsmann believes his side, which has 55 points from 28 games, can match or better their best ever Bundesliga points tally of 67, which they achieved in their debut top-flight season in 2016-17.

Nagelsmann is also unbeaten in six meetings with Cologne as a coach. A good omen for the visitors perhaps?

Leipzig, unbeaten in nine and with just three league defeats all season, should be too strong.

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History

This has been a close contest in recent years.

Two seasons ago, Leipzig narrowly triumphed 2-1 when Lukas Klostermann and the evergreen Poulsen netted and Yuya Osako replied for the hosts.

The clash the season before ended 1-1 when Osako was again on target after Oliver Burke gave Leipzig an early lead.

In the reverse fixture earlier this season, three goals in 15 minutes gave Leipzig a comfortable lead they never relinquished.

Their 4-1 success was sealed through goals from Werner, Emil Forsberg (two) and Konrad Laimer with Rafael Czichos claiming the Koln consolation.

They have met five times with Leipzig winning on three occasions, one draw and one Koln win. That came in February 2018 at the Red Bull Arena when Vincent Koziello and Leonardo Bittencourt scored in a 2-1 success, although Cologne were relegated that season.