Borussia Dortmund vs FC Koeln Betting Tips & Match Prediction
Borussia Dortmund v FC Koeln Betting Preview
All eyes are on Erling Haaland after the Norwegian wonder kid’s extraordinary debut for Borussia Dortmund last week. Now, the 19-year-old will be hoping for his first Bundesliga start as his side prepares to take on FC Koeln, a side that got off to their good start after the winter break.
Recent Form
Borussia Dortmund will be reeling after their latest win. Lucien Favre’s men were 3-1 down to Augsburg at one point but four goals in 20 minutes led to a memorable 5-3 win. At the other end of the table, FC Koeln picked up a vital win in their first match since the winter break. The 3-1 victory over Wolfsburg took them up to 13th.
Borussia Dortmund v FC Koeln Recent Matchups
It’s been all Dortmund in the last few matches between these two sides. BVB came back from a goal down to win the reverse fixture 3-1 back in August. The previous matches between these two sides were before FC Koeln’s relegation but Dortmund will come into this one with the better head-to-head record.
Borussia Dortmund v FC Koeln Stats & Analysis
The history is with Borussia Dortmund, especially considering they are playing at home. BVB have an exceptional record at Signal Iduna Park with just two defeats in the last two years. The issue for Favre is that they have struggled to keep the goals out in recent months. They conceded three against RB Leipzig in their previous fixture and three more against bottom side SC Paderborn back in November.
That will need to be corrected against an FC Koeln side which is enjoying a new lease of life. Markus Gisdol took over in November and there has been a sharp upturn in the club’s fortunes. A trip to Dortmund would have seemed an impossible task just a few months ago but with four consecutive victories under their belts, it now looks a great deal more manageable.
The big problem for Gisdol will be stopping this Dortmund attack. They’ve kept just three clean sheets all season in the league, although two of those have come in the last four matches under their new manager. But it’s still an unenviable task. BVB have scored 14 in their last four home matches in the Bundesliga and are one of the top scoring-sides in the division. That attacking threat has only been increased by the addition of Erling Haaland who grabbed all the plaudits on the weekend with his 20-minute debut hat-trick.
Borussia Dortmund v FC Koeln Bets
It’s hard to look past the home side here, especially with new boy Haaland up top. BVB are 1/3 to come out on top in this match with FC Koeln out at 21/2 and a draw at 11/2. It’s clear that the bookies fancy Favre’s men and given the recent form between both sides, it’s easy to see why.
For many, it’s just a case of how many goals Dortmund will get. A BVB win with a European handicap of 0-1 seems like a good price at 4/5 or a 0-3 handicap is out at 5/1 if you’re predicting a big win for the home side. If you fancy an upset then the odds for an FC Koeln win are long enough as they are. If you aren’t convinced by Dortmund but an away win is too much for you, an FC Koeln win or a draw is a good price at 3/1.
One thing there should be no shortage of in this match is goals for both teams. Over 3.5 goals in the game is evens but if you’re predicting a repeat of Dortmund’s last match then you can get over 7.5 goals at 22/1. One thing Dortmund have been good at is scoring late. With that in mind, over 3.5 goals in the second half only may be a good shout at 5/1 if you think the game will open up after the break.