Matchday 29 of the Bundesliga concludes on Monday with an exciting clash between FC Koln and RB Leipzig at the RheinEnergieStadion.
FC Koln (11th) vs. RB Leipzig (5th)
Date: Monday, June 1
Start Time: 2:30pm EST
Venue: RheinEnergieStadion – Cologne, Germany
TV Coverage: FOX Sports 2
FC Koln vs. RB Leipzig Match Preview
With matches coming thick and fast in the Bundesliga, FC Koln and RB Leipzig now have just six more games left to play and are hoping to finish as high up the Bundesliga table as possible. Both sides stumbled in their midweek matches, with Leipzig drawing 2-2 against Hertha Berlin and Koln losing 3-1 to Hoffenheim.
Now, the two sides look forward to Monday’s encounter, in a match which arguably means more to Leipzig than it does to Koln. Leipzig come into this match in 5th place, only one point behind both Bayer Leverkusen in 4th and Borussia Monchengladbach in 3rd in the fight for the top four places and a ticket into next season’s Champions League. Koln, on the other hand, sit in 11th place and are comfortably seven points clear of relegation worries and eight points away from the top six European places.
FC Koln Bundesliga Form: L-D-D-L-W
RB Leipzig Bundesliga Form: D-W-D-D-D
Both sides come into this clash with just one win from their last five league matches. You could argue that Leipzig’s form is better than it looks on paper, with four of their last five games being against teams in the top nine. For Koln it’s a different story, with three of their last five games being played against teams below them in the table.
The sportsbooks have priced Leipzig at around -200 (money line) to beat Koln, which shows that not many have faith in Koln to succeed on Monday. Koln have defended terribly since the league’s return to action in May, which may spell trouble for them against a Leipzig team that has netted 70 times already this season.
When Koln travelled to Leipzig in their last meeting back in November, Leipzig cruised to a 4-1 victory. Defensively, Leipzig will miss Marcel Halstenberg who was sent off in their last fixture against Hertha Berlin. However, the team has already proven they can minimize the threat from Koln’s attack after conceding just one shot on target against them this season.
For Koln on Monday, captain Jonas Hector is expected to be brought back into the side after being rested in the last game. Hector is one of Koln’s most experienced men, both internationally and at club level, and will be key to keeping this dangerous Leipzig side quiet. He ranks second at the club for interceptions (41) and third for key passes (20), proving his importance for Koln both defensively and offensively.
For Leipzig, they will be hoping that prolific striker Timo Werner adds to his Bundesliga tally of 24 goals and 7 assists. This is the third-best goal contribution in the league, only beaten by Robert Lewandowski and Jadon Sancho. Unfortunately, Yussuf Poulsen is missing for Leipzig, but they are expected to bring in Patrick Schick to partner up with Werner in offense.
FC Koln vs. RB Leipzig Match Prediction
As we have seen since the Bundesliga’s return, the absence of fans in the stadiums has resulted in no real home advantage. With no Koln home attendance on Monday, the home side will be unable to thrive off the atmosphere created by their fans.
Leipzig have shown this season that they carry a strong attacking threat and have proven that they can score freely in a number of matches. In their last three games, Leipzig have scored eight goals. They are expected to pick up more goals against Koln, a side who have conceded seven goals in three games since the return to soccer action.
We expect a Leipzig victory on Monday as they continue their push for one of those all-important Champions League spots. This game is definitely more important for Leipzig, as Koln have very little to play for. We think that a combination of Leipzig determination and offensive threat will be too much for Koln to handle.
FC Koln vs. RB Leipzig Match Pick
We expect a high-scoring victory for Leipzig in front of an empty RheinEnergieStadion.
