Köln play host to Leverkusen on Wednesday night as both teams bid to go into the winter-break on a high note.
Having enjoyed an excellent start to the campaign, one that saw them sit comfortably inside the top-3 for some time, Köln have started to wane slightly of late, although this home match against a stuttering Leverkusen presents them with a good opportunity to get back on track.
Ahead of this fixture, there are two bets that really stand out. These are: ‘Köln to Win’ and ‘Köln to Score Over 1.5 Goals’ at 2/1 and 13/8 respectively. The hosts have been in strong form pretty much all season on their own patch, while Leverkusen have been far from at their best on the road and could struggle to find their top gear once more.
When playing at The RheinEnergieStadion this season, Peter Stöger’s team have been a tough nut to crack. After seven matches at home, Köln remain unbeaten, claiming victory on four occasions. Considering two of their three draws came against league Leaders Leipzig and attacking powerhouses Dortmund, it’s fair to say that the home form shown by Die Geißböcke is very strong indeed.
As well as remaining unbeaten on home soil, Stöger’s men have proven themselves to be an astute side in the final third. Having scored 12 goals, they’ve been kept out just once, scoring at least twice on four occasions. Anthony Modeste, with 12 Bundesliga goals to his name, is a striker who’s been in hot form this season, and, with the likes of Leandro Bittencourt and Yuya Osako in the side, Köln have the tools to feed their talismanic forward.
As for the visitors, well, Leverkusen have under-performed this season, there’s no two ways about it. Roger Schmidt’s side have failed to put together a good run of form at any point and have often looked very poor defensively. They’ve lost four times on the road, while they come into this match off the back of a very disappointing home loss to lowly Ingolstadt on Sunday. In addition, the visitors have conceded two or more goals in five of their seven away matches, letting in a total of 11 goals on the road.
One of the main problems for Leverkusen has been the counter. They’re an attacking side, but if they’re not firing up top, which they often haven’t this season, their inability to keep things tight at the back has cost them – a fact that is likely to fill Wednesday’s opponents with plenty of confidence. Köln, who’ve conceded just three goals at home this season, have done very well when it comes to remaining organised and putting defence first. In doing so, they’ve frustrated sides before hurting them on the counter. Such tactics could bear fruit once again.
Overall, it’s hard to see Leverkusen making much headway in this one. The hosts have looked a real menacing side at home and they’re fancied to secure one final win in front of their own fans before enjoying some time away from the pitch over the winter-break.
See more tips here.