Cologne-Augsburg is a Bundesliga Week 10 match and is played on Sunday at 15:30: line-ups, predictions, TV and streaming.
The conference league, you know, takes a lot of energy away. And it can become a ‘trap’ for those teams who, like Cologne, are not equipped to play three matches a week. It is not surprising, then, that Steffen Baumgart’s men, the big surprise of last season’s Bundesliga season, are so up and down in the league. After the prestigious 3-2 victory against Borussia Dortmund, they literally collapsed in the last round at home to the other Borussia, coming out with broken bones (5-2) in the heartfelt Rhine derby played in Monchengladbach. Cologne also struggled in the cup: in the space of a week they were defeated by Partizan Serbians, on both occasions without scoring a single goal. Qualification is still possible, but in order not to be eliminated in the group stage, they will have to win their last two matches.
At eleventh place, Hector and his team-mates are only three points off the Europa League places and, if they win against Augsburg, they could make a big leap forward, taking advantage of Werder Bremen and Leipzig’s missteps. The Bavarians, however, are healthy. They haven’t lost since 4 September, racking up four positive results – three wins and a draw – that allowed them to erase their bad start and leave the relegation zone. Enrico Maassen is proving to be a brilliant coach, and if he continues at this pace, salvation could come early. The challenge between Cologne and Augsburg will in any case be characterised by the numerous absences, both on one side and the other: Baumgart’s infirmary is always crowded (Olesen, Ljubicic, Andersson and Thielmann are missing, in addition to the disqualified Kainz), while Maassen must do without the starting goalkeeper Gikiewicz and the disqualified Gouweleeuw and Bauer.
Berisha of Augsburg
The Prediction
The bookmakers see Cologne as the clear favourite, as they are the better equipped of the two teams, but you can’t underestimate a team like Augsburg, who have been on a winning streak for over a month and who could take advantage of Baumgart’s men’s European fatigue. The visitors are likely to avoid defeat in a match with at least one goal each.
Cologne v Augsburg likely line-up
- COLONIA (4-2-3-1): Schwäbe; Schmitz, Kilian, Hübers, Hector; Skhiri, Martel; Schindler, Duda, Maina; Tigges.
- AUGSBURG (4-2-3-1): Koubek; Framberger, Gumny, Winther, Iago; Gruezo, Rexhbecaj; Vargas, Niederlechner, Demirovic; Berisha.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-1
