Bundesliga, Cologne Vs. Borussia Dortmund: Preview, Prediction, Starting Lineups, And Betting Tips


Borussia Dortmund takes on FC Cologne on match day 14 of the Bundesliga as both teams look to rally their way upward in the league table.

After progressing to the knock-out round of Champions League as group winners at mid-week, Borussia Dortmund will now try to focus on their inconsistent domestic campaign. The Yellow Armies are currently in sixth place of the Bundesliga standings with 24 points. A win could pull the away side to third place of the table, if teams above them falter this weekend.

Cologne, with 22 points, is just behind Borussia Dortmund in the league table. The home side looks quite disgruntled at the moment, as they haven’t won their last two matches. A win against Borussia Dortmund will take them above their counterparts in Bundesliga table.

Marco Reus of Borussia Dortmund (R) celebrates scoring his sides second goal with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Borussia Dortmund.
Marco Reus of Borussia Dortmund (R) celebrates scoring his sides second goal with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Borussia Dortmund. [Image by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images]

The previous encounter between these teams resulted in a thrilling 2-2 draw at Signal Iduna Park. Out of the last six matches played, the home side has won three, while Dortmund has won one.

Team News: Cologne

Injury concerns for Peter Stoger’s team are quite large, as several players are unfit for selection.

The likes of Leonardo Bittencourt, Dominic Maroh, Timo Horn, and Marcel Risseare are ruled out of the match due to injuries.

The good news for Cologne fans is that Marco Hoger has returned from his injury, and his inclusion in the lineup will amplify creativity in midfield.

Marcel Hartel could replace injured Marcel Risse in his right-wing position, while Simon Zoller is likely to fill the gap vacated by injured Leonardo Bittencourt.

Cologne: Predicted Line-up (4-4-2)

Kessler – Rausch, Heintz, Mavraj, Sorensen – Hartel, Zoller, Hector, Hoger – Modeste, Osako

Team News: Borussia Dortmund

Manager Thomas Tuchel is slightly worried about the injuries, which have kept his players on the sideline.

Sven Bender will be unavailable for selection due to an ankle injury. Neven Subotic and Erik Durm are declared unfit to play the match due to their ribs and knee injuries, respectively.

Mario Gotze is also ruled out of the match because of his knee injury.

Hit-man Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who is Bundesliga’s current top goal scorer with 15 goals, will be the key player for the away side.

Marco Reus scored an important goal in a 2-2 draw in a Champions League match against Real Madrid. He is likely to spice things in Dortmund’s attack.

The likes of Shinji Kagawa and Raphael Guerreiro are doubtful to start the match due to injury concerns.

Borussia Dortmund: Predicted Line-up (4-4-2)

Weidenfeller – Ginter, Bartra, Papastathoupoulos, Schmelzer – Castro, Schurrle, Piszczek, Reus – Aubameyang, Dembele

Cologne vs. Borussia Dortmund: Head-to-Head

Total games: 83
FC Cologne wins: 28
Borussia Dortmund wins: 34
Draws: 21

Cologne vs. Dortmund: TV Schedule and Channel

In the U.S., the match will air live on Fox Deportes, Fox Soccer 2GO USA, Fox Sports 2 USA, and Fox Sports GO. For other regions, the TV schedule can be found in the link here.

Cologne vs. Borussia Dortmund: Prediction

Mario Gotze of Borussia Dortmund and Timothy Chandler of Eintracht Frankfurt compete for the ball during the Bundesliga match between Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund.
Mario Gotze of Borussia Dortmund and Timothy Chandler of Eintracht Frankfurt compete for the ball during the Bundesliga match between Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund. [Image by Alex Grimm/Bongarts/Getty Images]


Borussia Dortmund is the better side here. Thomas Tuchel’s men are in a good form recently, and they will try to continue their good momentum in the coming match as well. Cologne, while playing on their home soil, has been excellent this season, as they have kept five clean sheets in seven matches. They will also look to reprise their good record against Dortmund.

The match is going to be highly competitive between these well-balanced sides. However, Borussia Dortmund has more winning strengths than the home side.

Final Predicted Score: Cologne 1-2 Borussia Dortmund

Cologne vs. Borussia Dortmund: Betting Tips and Odds

  1. Cologne win: 9/2
  2. A draw: 3/1
  3. Dortmund win: 4/7
  4. Under 2.5 goals: 11/10
  5. Over 2.5 goals: 4/6
  6. Both teams score: 4/6
  7. Both teams fail to score: 11/10

The odds were provided by Paddypower.

Key Stats to consider

  • Cologne has not lost eight successive Bundesliga matches.
  • Cologne has not conceded a goal in five of their seven home matches in Bundesliga.
  • Cologne has won their three recent home matches against Borussia Dortmund.
  • Dortmund has won three of their last four Bundesliga matches.
  • Dortmund has won one out of their last six games against Cologne.

The Cologne vs. Borussia Dortmund stats were provided by Whoscored.

Cologne vs. Borussia Dortmund: Live Stream

The match can be streamed live online by clicking this link. The link will be updated just before kick-off.

[Featured Image by Denis Doyle/Getty Images]

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