Cologne vs Werder Bremen Preview: Team News & Prediction
Click here for today’s sports betting tips from our expert analysts!
Cologne are hovering just above the bottom three and the danger zone in the Bundesliga as they take on fellow strugglers Werder Bremen at the RheinEnergieStadion.
Kick-off date/time:
How to watch on TV: UK – Sky Sports+ / US – ESPN
How to watch online: UK – Sky Sports+ / US – ESPN+
Cologne preview: Struggling Koln
Cologne begin this weekend's round of fixtures sitting just one spot and a couple of points outside of the bottom three and the relegation playoff place with an indifferent recent run of form of late.
The hosts' most recent outing, a 2-2 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt last weekend, was their third successive draw and means that they are now winless in their last eight matches since beating a poor Wolfsburg side in late-January.
Werder Bremen preview: Still in danger
They now face a Werder Bremen side that begin the 29th match day of the 2025/26 Bundesliga campaign sitting just a point ahead of Cologne with two defeats in their last three matches either side of the international break.
Werder most recently succumbed to a 2-1 defeat at home to RB Leipzig at Weserstadion last weekend due to goals from Antonio Nusa and Romulo before a consolation scored by Salim Musah in second-half stoppage-time.
Cologne team news: A few doubts
The excellent Said El Mala, enjoying a superb campaign, is now a doubt alongside Manchester City loanee centre-back Jahmai Simpson-Pusey this weekend.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Schwabe; Sebulonsen, Van den Berg, Ozkacar, Lund; Huseinbasic, Krauss; Thielmann, Kaminski, Bulter; Ache
Unavailable: Kilian (Injured), Hubers (Injured)
Questionable: Simpson-Pusey (Injured), Schmied (Injured), El Mala (Injured)
Werder Bremen team news: Puertas suspended
Former Royale Union Saint-Gilloise attacking midfielder Cameron Puertas is missing through suspension for this one, with other injuries including Mitchell Weiser and Victor Boniface.
Predicted XI (4-5-1): Nagata; Agu, Pieper, Friedl, Deman; Grull, Bittencourt, Lynen, Schmidt, Schmid; Njinmah
Unavailable: Hein (Injured), Malatini (Injured), Puertas (Suspended), Weiser (Injured), Boniface (Injured), Topp (Injured)
Questionable: Coulibaly (Injured), Pieper (Injured), Wober (Injured), Stark (Injured), Stage (Injured), Njinmah (Injured)
Cologne vs Werder Bremen prediction
Werder have been generally stronger throughout this campaign than a Cologne side that only returned to the Bundesliga last season. In what is a very exciting and entertaining league, these are two of the more reactive teams and, both nervy with St Pauli chasing them this weekend, albeit against Bayern Munich, a low-scoring encounter seems a good bet as the tension takes over on Sunday afternoon.
Cologne vs Werder Bremen tip: Under 2.5 goals
