Two sides on opposite paths in the Bundesliga will face off this weekend when Eintracht Frankfurt head to RheinEnergie Stadion to take on FC Koln on Saturday evening.
The hosts are down in the relegation playoff spot with just 12 points after 19 league games, while the visitors are in the final European qualification place with 31 points over the same period.
Match preview
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After a solid mid-table finish last season, it is fair to say that this term has been something of a nightmare for Koln, who could find themselves at the bottom of the league standings by the end of this weekend.
The Billy Goats are just one point above the bottom two sides, Mainz and Darmstadt, and head into this weekend's fixture having only managed two victories this term and winless in their last six.
Their 12-point tally after 19 games is the joint-worst start they have made to a Bundesliga season since the 2017-18 campaign, which was also the same season that they were relegated from the top flight.
Koln's poor form this season led to the axing of now-former manager Steffen Baumgart before Christmas, and his successor Timo Schultz is yet to win a match, losing one and drawing two of his first three games in charge.
Despite their poor form, the hosts do have a solid record against this opponent, with three wins, five draws, and just one loss in their last nine meetings. They have avoided defeat against Eintracht in their last five encounters, which is their second-longest active unbeaten run against any side in the top flight after their nine-match unbeaten run against Darmstadt.
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Meanwhile, after a mixed December, which included two wins and two losses, Eintracht Frankfurt have made a solid start to 2024 and could move up a spot in the league standings with a win here and if RB Leipzig lose their weekend fixture against Union Berlin.
The Eagles claimed their eighth win of the season last weekend, 1-0 at home to Mainz, which was their fourth match unbeaten since a 3-0 defeat against Bayer Leverkusen back in mid-December.
Dino Toppmoller's side's 13-point tally is the third-best in the league over the last six games, with only league leaders Leverkusen (14) and Bayern Munich (15) earning more over the same period.
However, the visitors' recent away record has been less impressive, with just one win in their last five outings and just three victories in 10 matches on the road over the first half of the current league campaign.
Still, Eintracht will be confident heading into this match as their 22 goals conceded this season is the third-fewest in the league, while their opponents have only found the net 12 times this season, which is the worst return of any side in the German top flight.
Team News
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Luca Waldschmidt broke a bone in his leg at the start of the year and is likely to miss the remainder of the campaign and potentially even some of next season.
Mark Uth (knee) and Davie Selke (foot) are both ruled out of this match due to injury. Selke's absence will likely mean that Faride Alidou will start again on Saturday after opening the scoring against Wolfsburg last week.
Omar Marmoush could return to action for this match after over a month away with Egypt, where he suffered disappointment in the round of 16 at the Africa Cup of Nations when Congo DR knocked out the Pharaohs.
However, the attacker has reportedly been suffering from an illness, which will likely lead to Sasa Kalajdzic continuing to lead the line.
Mehdi Loune is ruled out of this match with an ACL injury, and William Pacho will be forced into a watching brief due to suspension arising from an accumulation of yellow cards.
FC Koln possible starting lineup:
Schwabe; Schmitz, Hubers, Chabot, Finkgrafe; Huseinbasic, Martel; Ljubicic, Kainz, Alidou; Thielmann
Eintracht Frankfurt possible starting lineup:
Trapp; Tuta, Koch, Smolcic; Ebimbe, Gotze, Larsson, Nkounkou; Knauff, Van der Beek; Kalajdzic
We say: FC Koln 1-2 Eintracht Frankfurt
While Eintracht Frankfurt's away record is far from impressive this term, they have had no issue finding the net and have been fairly good in defence, currently boasting the league's third-best record. That does not bode well for Koln, though, who have the out-and-out worst attack this term.
This should be an entertaining watch, but we are backing the visitors to outscore the hosts in this one.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Devesh Jaganath
