Koln 8/11 to beat Kiel in Wednesday’s Bundesliga play-off showdown

Competition: Bundesliga play-off

Market: Koln win

Odds: 8/11 @ 888sport

Desperate to gain an early advantage on Wednesday evening, Koln will welcome second-tier Kiel to the RheinEnergieStadion with their future hanging in the balance.

Starting with the hosts, while Koln might have once again found themselves spending the majority of the season at the heart of a relegation scrap, The Billy Goats should be boosted by their end-of-the-year performances. Looking to dodge the bullet again and book themselves another Bundesliga run for next season, Friedhelm Funkel’s side were last seen over the weekend when signing off their campaign with a deserved 1-0 win against an already relegated Schalke at the RheinEnergieStadion. Proving that their 4-1 drumming at the hands of Freiburg earlier in the month was just a minor blip, there is no doubt that Koln should be boosted by their famous victory against RB Leipzig on April 20th. Landing themselves a stunning 3-2 victory when they traveled to The Red Bull Arena last month, Wednesday’s hosts have lost just one of their last five top-flight contests.

As for the visitors, while Kiel had their sights set on landing an automatic route to the Bundesliga this season, they really have the feel of a club limping their way over the finish line. Eventually having to settle for a third-place finish, Die Störche ended the 2020/21 campaign with back-to-back worrying 3-2 defeats at the hands of Darmstadt and Karlsruher SC. Showing some recent issues at the back, Head Coach Ole Werner has also been vocal about his side’s problems on the road. Including a 5-0 drumming against Borussia Dortmund in the DFP Pokal earlier in the month, Wednesday’s guests have landed just a single away victory across any format since the start of March. Up against a Koln side that have made some much-needed improvements over the past month, we’re backing a tough night for Kiel on their travels in midweek.

Bet: Koln 8/11 to beat Kiel in Wednesday’s Bundesliga play-off showdown @ 888sport