1. FC Koln

vs

RB Leipzig

Preview

Koln (Home)

• Koln have lost 2 of their last 5 Bundesliga matches (W2, D1).
• Koln have won 2 and lost 1 of their last 3 home Bundesliga games.
• 10th-placed Koln have 23 points from 20.
• The Billy Goats also press, but not with the same high level of intensity or coordination as the Red Bulls.

RB Leipzig (Away)

• RB Leipzig’s identity is built around an intensity of play that is rarely seen anywhere else in the Bundesliga.
• An aggressive high press is deployed in unison from the top-down, creating the best conditions for RB to transition swiftly from defense into attack.
• Leipzig sit 5th in the Bundesliga table on 36 points from 20 games.
• Leipzig have lost 2 of their last 5 (W2, D1).
• Leipzig have won 1 and drawn 1 of their last 2 away league matches.

Head-to-Head

• RB Leipzig have won the last two Bundesliga games between the two teams, including a 3-1 home win 4 months ago.
• Koln have failed to win their last two home H2Hs.

Key Players

• Linton Maina is on a hot streak for Koln, netting 3 of the hosts’ last 6 goals in just 5 appearances.
• Said El Mala is the top scorer for the hosts with 7 Bundesliga goals from 20 appearances.
• Yan Diomande has scored 7 times in 19 appearances for RB Leipzig, the same number of goals as El Mala.

Betting Insights

• The head-to-head record and league positions mean that Leipzig will be the slight favorites at 2.1, while Koln will be around 3.0 and the tie at 3.8.
• With Leipzig averaging 1.50 goals scored and 1.40 goals conceded away from home, and Koln conceding an average of 1.50 at home, the Over 2.5 goals market should be taken at around 1.48.

Prediction

• Our prediction for the winner of Sunday’s game is ‘draw no bet’ on Leipzig, but the odds are good enough for an outright wager on the visitors as well.
• The momentum in the league will favour Leipzig in this contest and the identity that the coach has forged at the East Germans is of a higher standard than what Koln have been able to achieve so far.