The Bundesliga weekend concludes with a Monday Night Football this week and it is one which could have implications in the race to qualify for the Champions League, as RB Leipzig make the journey to Cologne to take on FC Koln.
The home side aren’t really going anywhere in the middle of the table, but they have the chance to showcase their credentials and get the better of one of the better sides in German football at present, which should offer them some motivation.
FC Koln
It is hard to be too critical of the fact that FC Koln are one of the sides who are yet to win since the return to action. I say that because it must be so hard to motivate yourselves when there is a global pandemic going on, when at the back of your mind you know you are not challenging for Europe and that it is going to take something pretty extraordinary for you to be relegated. Despite their absence of a victory though, their matches have not lacked for entertainment.
They have already played out a couple of 2-2 draws, one which they led 2-0 and the other when they trailed by that score before finishing level in both, and then came a disappointing defeat to Hoffenheim in midweek, not what they wanted but far from the worst result we’ve seen. There can be no complaint at the entertainment levels involved in watching FC Koln. Their 28 Bundesliga matches have contained 96 goals, an average of almost 3.5 per match.
RB Leipzig
It hasn’t been the return to action that RB Leipzig were hoping for. They resumed heavily involved in the title picture but the failure to win two of their first three matches has ended any hopes they had of the ultimate glory, and now the task at hand is to ensure they remain in the top four to make it back in with the European elite in the Champions League next season. A win here will go a long way to helping that as they have slid into fifth with results having gone against them this weekend.
Leipzig opened up their return to football with a tame 1-1 draw against Freiburg, although a host of golden chances went begging in that match, before walloping Mainz 5-0 on the road last weekend. They were then held by Hertha Berlin in midweek. That isn’t a terrible result but it certainly isn’t the one they wanted, so there is a bit of pressure on them to go on the road and deliver the goods here. A win will move them back up to third in the table so they have all the incentive they need.
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Team News
Both of FC Koln’s first choice centre-backs are unavailable for this match. Sebastiaan Bornauw was sent off in the previous game which means that he is missing for this one while Rafael Czichos continues to miss out through injury. A return for Jonas Hector would look most likely.
It is not just Koln who are suffering with a shortage of defenders. RB Leipzig have the same issue with Ethan Ampadu and Ibrahima Konate both missing. They will also be without Marcel Halstenberg after his dismissal against Hertha Berlin in midweek. Yussuf Poulsen remains out.
Betting
I am expecting to see goals in this match, especially with both sides without central defensive options. There are clearly goals in these two sides. Leipzig have registered nine since the restart and FC Koln five. Both have leaked a few goals as well. Indeed there has been at least four goals in each of the games Koln have played since the return while the last two Leipzig matches have had at least that many in them as well.
Leipzig are the only ones with something to play for here from a competitive point of view but despite that, Koln have shown that even though they are not playing for anything substantial, they have enough about them to have a go and look to be dangerous. There are goals in both these sides and so I’m expecting an open and entertaining contest. I like over 3 goals in this one even at around the 1.70 mark.
Tips
WON – Back Over 3 goals for a 3/10 stake at 1.68 with BetVictor
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