Koln take on the visitors Wolfsburg in the round 20 match of German Bundesliga. The match will be played on Friday, January 30th at RheinEnergieStadion (Cologne).
Koln look decent for their current level. The Goats have recently taken their fans on a real roller coaster ride with their performances and results. A battle for survival that even reached the relegation play-off, albeit successfully, was followed by a return to European competition through participation in the Conference League. Then came relegation to Bundesliga 2, where they immediately finished on top. However, after promotion, Kwasniok’s side stayed true to their nature. A confident start with a couple of wins in the opening rounds was replaced by a prolonged stagnation with very few victories, including disappointing results against Mainz and Freiburg. In recent weeks, Cologne have looked more competitive than the table might suggest, especially in home matches. Still, their inconsistency remains an issue, as positive performances are often followed by games where they fail to build on momentum.
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Wolfsburg remember their fairly recent and quite notable successes and remain ambitious. However, things have clearly not gone smoothly for them lately. Last season ended with only an 11th-place finish and 43 points. Progress was expected under Simons, but the situation only worsened, and the Dutch coach was dismissed already in the first half of the campaign. Bauer initially took over as an interim coach, but in December he managed two wins and seven points, just one fewer than during the entire previous stretch, so even despite the Christmas defeat to Freiburg, the interim tag was removed and he was appointed permanently. January, however, brought a disastrous 1–8 loss to Bayern, the worst defeat in the club’s history. On the other hand, they then secured an important win over St. Pauli and also beat Mainz, before losing 1–2 to Freiburg despite scoring early and even benefiting from some luck. Overall, Wolfsburg’s recent form suggests gradual progress, but defensive lapses still cost them points. Away from home, their results have been especially uneven, which continues to prevent them from climbing higher in the standings.
Overall, the Wolves have the advantage in this matchup. However, the two most recent head-to-head meetings both ended in draws. As usual in such encounters, boredom is unlikely. A bet on over 2.5 total goals looks like the most appealing option.
Prediction for the match: Over 2.5 scored goals.
