The closing game of the German Bundesliga seventh round is set for this Sunday, October 1st, 2017, when FC Koln hosts RB Leipzig at RheinEnergieStadion. Both teams have lost their European clashes in midweek, as The Billy Goats were beaten in the second round of the Europa League at home by FK Crvena Zvezda, 1:0, while The Red Bulls struggled against Besiktas, 2:0, in the second round of the Champions League.
In this preview, we’ll try to find out who’s going to bounce back on Sunday afternoon, while giving you some tips and betting predictions, as we always do here on GetMoreSports.
FC KOLN vs. RB LEIPZIG
3-Way: 1: FC Koln +295; X: +275 Draw; 2: RB Leipzig +110
Spread +0.5: FC Koln -109; RB Leipzig +102
Total +2.5: Over -111; Under +106
FC KOLN
The Billy Goats finally earned the first point of the season in the previous round, playing a nil-nil draw with Hannover 96 at Niedersachsenstadion. They were lucky to stay undefeated, as hosts were a far better team, but FC Koln also had a couple of good chances to get a goal. In the 27th minute, Jhon Cordoba stole the ball from Salif Sane, but his left-foot shot finished in the side-netting. Yuya Osako had the best opportunity for The Billy Goats in the 63rd minute after Leonardo Bittencourt found him on the edge of the six-yard box. The Japanese forward has ruined the terrific chance, as his shot was stopped by the goalkeeper Philipp Tschauner.
Overall, it was another poor display, as Peter Stoger’s boys recorded only six shots, one on target, with just 67% of accurate passes. They took 17 crosses, finding their teammates only two times. Defensively, they were lucky to keep a clean sheet, while recording 12 interceptions, 32 clearances, and winning 54% of tackles. Some will say only points counts, but I suspect anyone at RheinEnergieStadion is happy after this game.
Another slump came in the midweek, when FC Koln was beaten by FK Crvena Zvezda at home, 1:0. They were totally outplayed in the first half, allowing Crvena Zvezda to record 10 shots, while Richmond Boakye scored the winning goal in 30th minute. Easily, it could have been two in FC Koln’s net. In the second half, it looked like different eleven players are on the pitch, although just two of them came off the bench at halftime (Osako and Bittencourt). FC Koln took the game at visitors, making 16 shots to a goal, five on target, with the ball on their feet for 72% of the time, yet, failing to score. In this case, a goal only counts.
After the first six rounds of the German Bundesliga, Peter Stoger’s team has a 1:13 goal difference, sitting at the bottom of the table with one point and a form of DLLLLL. In the last six games in all competitions, FC Koln’s scored only once, against Arsenal in the first round of the Europa League. The only time they found the net in the German Bundesliga was against Hamburger SV in the second round. On the other hand, with 52 chances created so far they are an eleventh-best team in the Bundesliga. For example, TSG Hoffenheim created the same number, scoring 11 times.
FC Koln conceded 13 goals, and their defense is the most fragile in the Bundesliga. Even Hamburger SV scored three of their four goals against them. These all sound like Peter Stogers guys have a huge psychological problem. The Austrian tactician has to something urgently if he wants to keep his job.
The striker Simon Zoller and a winger Marcel Risse are doubtful for a clash against RB Leipzig due to injuries, while the left-back Jonas Hector will be sidelined for at least two months. All other players are ready for the match.
RB LEIPZIG
The Red Bulls’ performance is pretty shaky in the last couple of weeks, as they are battling on two fronts. In the previous five games, RB Leipzig recorded only one win against Eintracht Frankfurt, 2:1, in the sixth round of the German Bundesliga last week. On last Tuesday they were beaten by Besiktas at Vodafone Arena, 2:0, in the second round of the Champions League group phase, so it seems like The Bulls doesn’t have enough power to cope with two challenges.
RB Leipzig is at the sixth place of the Bundesliga table at the moment, earning 10 points from the first six rounds, with a form of WLDWWL, and a 10:7 goal difference. At home, they recorded two wins and one draw, while both defeats came on the road. The only away victory was against Hamburger SV, 2:0, in the second round.
The team’s top league goal scorer is a talented forward Timo Werner, who netted five times, while a striker Jean-Kevin Augustin is the only player remaining with at least two goals scored. The Frenchman is the top assistant with two dishes so far. The Swedish midfielder Emil Forsberg has one assist and 13 key passes so far, and he’s a main force in the middle along with Naby Keita, who has one dish and eight key passes.
The manager Ralph Hasenhuttl can be satisfied with the number of chances so far (82), but he certainly has some complaints about finishing. His players have to improve in front of the goal if they want to start winning in a row. Against Besiktas on last Tuesday they created 14 scoring opportunities, recording 20 shots, and they still couldn’t find the net. Forsberg and Keita had six goals in total, all of them taken outside of the box. Marcel Sabitzer and Jean-Kevin Augustin had two great chances, but their shots went off target.
Naby Keita will be unavailable for the clash against FC Koln, as he’s still serving a suspension after the red card in the third round against Borussia Monchengladbach, while Timo Werner is doubtful due to circulation problems, but I expect to see him on the pitch. All other players are ready to play.
FC KOLN vs. RB LEIPZIG – Match Prediction
The Red Bulls are favorites in this clash, particularly because of the FC Koln’s awful form. Maybe it’s ridiculous to bet on the home team, but I think they can score against RB Leipzig’s defense. The German Bundesliga is pretty unpredictable this season, but if I have to choose the winner, I would go with RB Leipzig, especially if they find the better finishing.
MY PICK: Both Teams to Score YES (-130)
ADDITIONAL PICK: RB Leipzig to Win (+110)
