Cologne vs Union Berlin Preview: Team News & Prediction
by Alex Lawes ·
Click here for today’s sports betting tips from our expert analysts!
Cologne begin the weekend sitting firmly in the middle-of-the-table, as they now prepare to welcome a similarly matched Union Berlin side to the RheinEnergieStadion.
Kick-off date/time:
How to watch on TV: UK – Not televised / US – ESPN
How to watch online: UK – Cannot be streamed / US – ESPN+
Cologne preview: Mid-table Koln
Following their promotion back to the Bundesliga last season, Cologne head into the final game before the winter break sitting firmly in the middle-of-the-table with four victories, four draws and six defeats thus far.
The hosts are in poor form, though, with their 2-0 defeat away at Bayer Leverkusen last weekend now meaning that they are winless in five matches and have managed just one win in their last nine games across all competitions.
Union Berlin preview: Steady Union
Union Berlin, the perennial overachievers of German football in the last half a decade or so, sit a couple of points and places above Cologne in the Bundesliga table, as they seek a return to UEFA competition for next season.
The capital city outfit recovered from back-to-back losses last weekend by easing to an impressive 3-1 victory over RB Leipzig at the Alten Forsterei, courtesy of goals from Oli Burke, Ibrahim Ansah and Tim Skarke.
Cologne team news: A few injuries
Cologne are dealing with a few injuries for this one as defensive trio Dominique Heintz, Timo Hubers and Luca Kilian all sidelined, while Joel Schmied.
Predicted XI (3-4-3): Schwabe; Sebulonsen, Martel, Van den Berg; Thielmann, Huseinbasic, Krauss, Kaminski; Waldschmidt, El Mala, Bulter
Unavailable: Hubers (Injured), Heintz (Injured), Kilian (Injured)
Questionable: Schmied (Injured)
Union Berlin team news: Haberer suspended
Janik Haberer is missing through suspension for Union this weekend, while versatile attacker Robert Skov is an injury doubt for the trip west.
Predicted XI (3-4-2-1): Ronnow; Doekhi, Querfeld, Leite; Trimmel, Khedira, Kemlein, Kohn; Jeong, Schafer; Burke
Unavailable: Haberer (Suspended)
Questionable: Skov (Injured)
Cologne vs Union Berlin prediction
Cologne are in indifferent and average form of late, beginning this weekend’s round of fixtures now sitting eight points outside of the top seven and five points ahead of the bottom three. They now face an Union Berlin side that have gained a lot more top-flight experience and pedigree than Cologne in recent years, and they will fancy themselves to at least avoid defeat, even away from home.
Cologne vs Union Berlin tip: Double chance – Cologne to win or draw
