Match Preview: Dortmund Hosts FC Köln

Borussia Dortmund hosts its first match of the 2020 Ruckründe when they welcome FC Köln tomorrow.

Dortmund are coming off an exciting and frustrating 5-3 away win over Augsburg. Exciting because we finally got to see Erling Håland destroy opposing defenses like Godzilla destroys cities, but equally frustrating over the poor defensive effort and just how poor the squad looked before Håland entered the game. Zagadou, Delaney, and Schmelzer look to remain out with injuries, and Alcácer remains looking for a move away from the club.

Hopefully they’ve got the rust out against Augsburg, because they need to start playing better. Dortmund have gone from looking like title contenders one minute and then they look like a mid-table side the next. They’ve got the players, but there’s just something missing. Whether it’s the match tactics, match preparation, the mentality of the players going into the match, there needs to be improvements made if this team really wants to challenge Leipzig for the title (holy crap, never thought I’d ever type those words.)

These teams met way back on matchday two, and Köln actually jumped out to a 1-0 lead before BVB rattled off three late second half goals to take all three points in the RheinEnergieStadion. Sancho, Hakimi, and Alcácer were the goal scorers for Dortmund, while Hazard, Piszczek and Sancho dished out the assists in the win. This match was kind of a preview for the rest of the season, where Dortmund never really looked like the kind of title contenders everyone thought they would be.

Die Geißböcke currently sit three points outside the relegation zone following a 3-1 victory over Wolfsburg. Köln have hovered around the bottom of the table for the entire season, but they look to be turning things around as they have won four straight going back to matchday 15 of the Hinründe. Jhon Córdoba leads the squad with six goals in all Bundesliga matches, including two in last Saturday’s win over Wolfsburg. Dortmund’s shaky backline will be up against it with Córdoba coming into tomorrow’s match in fine form.

If Dortmund can perform like they did in the last 30 minutes against Augsburg, then there’s no reason why BVB shouldn’t absolutely annihilate visiting Köln tomorrow. However, rarely has Dortmund looked like a dominant team for a whole 90 minutes in a match except against Leverkusen and Düsseldorf, both home matches. I think we’ll see more of a complete game from Dortmund in a comfortable 3-1 win over the visitors.

What do you think the scoreline will be against Köln? What formation will Favre go with, and what players will he select? Let us know in the comments below!