After the first part of the season it is clear that Cologne is the team which was the biggest disappointment in the second part, and they will need a miracle to avoid elimination from the elite rank, while Borussia has played roughly the way it was expected and they will lead a big fight for the best European positions. Despite the big point difference on the table, these two teams made identical results in the previous three games, which means defeat, win and again defeat in the Cup, from which they were both eliminated in the finals. In the first part of the season Borussia celebrated with a minimum of 1-0.
Even the biggest optimists doubt that the “Bill Goats” can be saved from the elimination after the desperate first part of the championship. That triumph in the last round before the break when they defeated Wolfsburg with 1-0 gives a little hope. It was also the first Bundesliga victory in the season and they went on a break with 11 points less than the relegation zone. They also played in Europa League, where they were eliminated in the group stage, while they were also eliminated from the Cup in the round of sixteen after a defeat by Schalke.
A lot of injury problems and the replacement of coach Stoger has also marked a very turbulent autumn part of the season. They look a little better on the field after the arrival of coach Ruthenbeck, because all three defeats under his leadership were minimal. Striker Terodde from Stuttgart is the only winter reinforcement and he will be in the starting position immediately because Cordoba is injured, and Risse, J.Horn, Maroh and Bittencourt are also absent.
Probable lineups 1.FC Cologne: T.Horn – Sorensen, J.Mere, Heintz, J.Hector – M.Lehmann – Klunter, Guirassy, S.Ozcan, Jojic – Terodde
There were a lot of oscillations in the team of Borussia in the first part as well as some very convincing defeats that spoil the overall picture and are the reason why they have a negative goal difference, but the placement is quite good and the second place is just two points far before this round. That is what it is important though they had a slight fall in shape and a series of three games without a win before the end of the first part. In the end, however, they defeated HSV in their field, but they also experienced a defeat in the Cup by Bayer, and since they did not have European commitments, they are now only have the championship and the fight for the placement in the Champions League.
They did not change anything when it comes to their team, which means they were even satisfied, and coach Hecking was mostly forcing the same composition, whenever he was not prevented by injuries or suspensions. He has changed the team in the Cup a little bit but it did not pay off, and now Traore, Bobadilla, Strobl, and F.Johnson are out of action, which were somehow were not in the foreground, except for F.Johnsnon.
Probable lineups Borussia M’gladbach: Sommer – Elvedi, Ginter, Vestergaard, Wendt – Zakaria, Kramer – Hazard, Grifo – Stindl, Raffael
For Cologne, perhaps the first game was a decisive one, and it is clear that there is a need to win them, but the question is whether they can overcome Borussia, which oscillates, however, they can play very well. We will, however, predict a more closed game without a lot of goals.