Verdict: Home win
Best odds: 2/5
Bookmaker: Luckster
Borussia Dortmund are set to start their Bundesliga campaign when they welcome FC Koln to the Signal Iduna Park on Saturday, in what will be a sort of a rematch of the 2-2 draw between the two teams in the last round of the previous season which ended up costing the Black-and-Yellow the Bundesliga title.
Borussia Dortmund
Dortmund’s start to the new season with a resounding 6-1 victory over Schott Mainz in the DFB-Pokal demonstrates their attacking prowess and ability to dominate matches. The statistics, such as their high possession percentage and the number of shots taken, highlight their control in the game and their capacity to limit their opponents’ chances.
Sebastien Haller’s brace and the contributions from players like Julian Brandt, Marcel Sabitzer, Donyell Malen, and Youssoufa Moukoko underscore the team’s offensive depth.
Dortmund’s performance last season, particularly in the latter part of the campaign, where they were consistently strong after the World Cup break, signifies their growth and ability to challenge for the title. The fact that they narrowly missed out on the title in the previous season, despite leading for much of the campaign, could serve as a motivating factor. The pain of the failure on the final day might be a driving force for the current crop of players to perform at their best and strive for success in the new season.
Therefore, Edin Terzic will be expecting a good performance from his men, setting the pace for whats to come throughout the season.
Team News
However, Dortmund will enter this clash with severe injury problems. Defenders Thomas Meunier and Niklas Sule, attacking midfielder Giovani Reyna, as well as wingers Jamie Bynoe-Gittens and Julian Duranville, are all set to miss out. And the problems don’t end there, with defender Mateu Morey, midfielders Emre Can and Felix Nmecha, and forward Karim Adeyemi, all regarded as doubts at this point.
Gergor Kobel should be between the posts, with Julian Ryerson, Nick Schlotterbeck, Mats Hummels and Ramy Bensebaini as the back four. Former Bayern Munich man Marcel Sabitzer will team up with Can in the middle of the park if the latter is deemed fit, while the trio of Donyell Malen, Marco Reus and Julian Brandt support Sebastien Haller upfront.
FC Koln
FC Koln’s recent victory over VfL Osnabruck in the DFB-Pokal, secured after extra time, showcased their ability to persevere in challenging situations. Despite Charalambos Makridis leveling the score for Osnabruck, FC Koln managed to regain control and secure the win with goals from Sargis Adamyan and Julian Chabot.
The 2022/23 Bundesliga season for Koln was marked by inconsistency, as indicated by their 10 wins, 12 draws, and 12 losses. However, finishing nine points clear of the relegation zone and 11 points above the automatic relegation places can be seen as a positive outcome in such circumstances.
Nonetheless, Steffen Baumgart’s team will surely be looking to do better this time.
Team News
The visitors will have injury problems of their own going into this match. Defender Noah Katterbach, winger Jan Thielmann and striker Steffen Tigges are all expected to miss the Dortmund trip.
Marvin Schwabe should be in goal. Centre-backs Timo Hubers and Julian Chabot will be flanked by Leart Paqarada and Benno Schmitz. Eric Martel is likely to play behind Denis Huseinbasic, Mathias Olesen and Florian Kainz in midfield. David Selke and Luca Waldschmidt are expected to pair up in attack.
Conclusion
Given Dortmund’s indisputable strength on home soil over the last couple of seasons, as well as Koln’s struggles away from their own ground, a comfortable win by the home side is the likeliest outcome here.
Verdict: Home win
Best odds: 2/5
Bookmaker: Luckster
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