Cologne-Hertha Berlin is a match of the 32nd day of the Bundesliga and is played on Friday at 8:30 pm: TV, lineups, predictions.
The victory in the salvation clash with Stuttgart – a real last resort – allowed Hertha Berlin to still keep the flame of hope burning. The capital formation, after all, had no other choice. And after a fast of almost three months last Saturday, it returned to winning ways (2-1) thanks to goals by Kempf and Niederlechner.
Three points that allow Pal Dardai’s men – back on Hertha’s bench for a few weeks with the goal of trying to resolve a situation that is now almost compromised – to breathe again and stay in the running at least for the third-last place, the one that guarantees the promotion-relegation playoff against the third-place finisher in the cadet league. Despite the return to success, Hertha Berlin remains last, but is now only three points behind the Bochum-Stuttgart pair when there are only three games left to play. More complicated, however, is reaching direct salvation: in fact, Schalke 04 is five points away. That being the case, the one in Cologne is another inside or outside match: Dardai has only one result at his disposal if he wants to keep hoping. But it won’t be easy for a team that on the road so far has barely scored five points in 15 games and hasn’t won away from home since September.
Another last resort for Hertha
For their part, the men led by Steffen Baumgart are in the so-called “limbo” of the standings and, having faded from Europe, no longer have realistic goals.
A scarf from Cologne fans
Cologne is not in danger of relegation because they have a wide margin over the third-last, but they can’t get back into the race for seventh place either: the blackest period at the turn of February and March effectively ousted the Billy Goats from the fight for a place in the next European competitions. The red and whites, however, are not already on vacation. And this is evidenced by their three wins in the last five days, the last one in the heated derby with Bayer Leverkusen (1-2), which slowed the race of Roma’s opponents in the Europa League.
The prediction
You can give confidence to Hertha Berlin, which travels to Cologne in desperate need of the three points, against a team that now has little to ask of the tournament. Betting on a win for the Capitols is a risk worth taking, however. Both, in any case, should score at least one goal: for the guests a draw would be basically useless.
The likely lineups of Cologne-Hertha Berlin
- COLONIA (4-2-3-1): Schwäbe; Schindler, Hübers, Chabot, Hector; Skhiri, Martel; Thielmann, Maina, Kainz; Selke.
- HERTHA BERLIN (4-2-3-1): Christensen; Kenny, Uremovic, Kempf, Plattenhardt; Tousart, Dardai; Lukebakio, Niederlechner, Ngankam; Jovetic.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-2
