Borussia Dortmund will be looking to bounce back from defeat in Der Klassiker last time out in the Bundesliga against near-neighbours Cologne.
Match News and Current Form
In search of their first Bundesliga title since 2012, Dortmund have made a decent enough start to this campaign, though a 2-1 defeat to rivals Bayern Munich saw them trail the champions by seven points already. Manager Niko Kovač will have been pleased that his side responded with a 4-2 UEFA Champions League win over Copenhagen in midweek, extending their run of scoring in each of their 11 matches this term. He’ll now be plotting to extend Dortmund’s current nine-match unbeaten run on home soil (W8, D1), a streak that’s seen them net 3+ goals on seven occasions.
Cologne arrive as huge underdogs, but the Billy Goats have made their own impressive start to their Bundesliga return. A late equaliser last time out against Augsburg took their points haul to 11 after seven matches, the best by a newly-promoted outfit at this stage in eight years. That will have already eased some relegation fears around the RheinEnergieStadion, as Lukas Kwasniok’s side now look to claim successive away wins in the Bundesliga for the first time since May 2023 - a feat they failed to achieve throughout their 2023/24 campaign which ended in relegation!
Head-to-Head History
Dortmund have won each of the last three Bundesliga H2Hs, while Cologne have won just one of their last 24 away league matches against the Black and Yellows (D4, L19).
Hot Stats and Streaks
Dortmund have kept four clean sheets across their last six Bundesliga matches.
Dortmund’s three home Bundesliga games have averaged just two goals this season, the second-lowest figure in the league.
Cologne have scored exactly once in three of their last four away games.
Cologne have scored five goals between the 75th minute and full-time of Bundesliga matches this season.
Key Players to Watch and Missing Players
Julian Brandt scored last time out in the league for Dortmund, while he’s also contributed to three goals across his last five H2Hs (G1, A2). Two of Jakub Kamiński’s last four league goals have come before the fifth minute - including his most recent strike for Cologne - though both of those matches still ended in 2-1 defeats!
Julien Duranville and Emre Can remain sidelined for Dortmund, while Cologne are still without summer signing Rav van den Berg.
For all the latest team news, please check the Flashscore match centre.
Betting Analysis
With Dortmund in fine form of late and looking defensively strong on home soil, a home win accompanied by a clean sheet looks likely.
Author: Nathan Evans