Peter Stöger’s Köln may well have lost (2-1) away to Hamburg at the weekend, but they’ve been solid on their own patch and a match against a Frankfurt team who’re really struggling to match their earlier season promise presents the hosts with an excellent opportunity to regain the winning thread.
Köln’s solidity at home has been the driving force behind their top six challenge this season. The side from Germany’s fourth-largest city have lost just once on their own patch, winning six of their other 11. Having scored 19 in 12 home matches, they haven’t exactly set the league alight in terms of goals, but, with 22-goal (and counting) Anthony Modeste in their ranks, should not be underestimated in an attacking sense. After all, in scoring four against Hertha in their last home match, Stöger’s men showed exactly what they’re capable of.
At odds of 13/10, backing the hosts to come out on top really does look a good bet, as does ‘Köln to Score Over 1.5 Goals’ at 6/4. Having notched four last time out at the RheinEnergieStadion, the hosts have only scored at least twice on five occasions when playing at home so far this season; however, with Frankfurt in their current form – conceded at least twice in each of their last three away league matches – this is a big opportunity for the hosts to hit their forward stride.
Over the last few months, Frankfurt’s fortunes have altered dramatically. Niko Kovač’s side are without a win since the first week in February, losing six of their seven matches in that time. Defensively things have gone awry during that spell with the visitors shipping a total of 12 goals, but the main concern for both manager and fans alike will be the lack of goals at the other end. In their last seven league fixtures, Frankfurt have scored just one goal and have now failed to score in their last three on the spin. Worrying times indeed.
Frankfurt’s dip in form, not to mention confidence, really must be taken advantage of here and the hosts are fancied to oblige in good style. Not only are Köln a solid defensive unit at home – just ten goals conceded all season + five clean sheets – but they simply have far more going for them in the final third.
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