Freitag, 15. Februar 2019

SC Paderborn - 1.FC Köln

Cologne to secure all three points at Benteler Arena

TEAM NEWS
Coach Steffen Baumgart has a fully-fit Paderborn team at his disposal, with only Leon Fesser, Khiry Shelton and Leon Bruggemeier out due to different injuries.

Cologne's list of absentees consists of Louis Schaub, Lasse Sobiech, Marco Hoger, Vincent Koziello and Matthias Lehmann.

Paderborn
Suspended: None
Doubtful: None
Injured/unavailable: Leon Fesser (thigh); Khiry Shelton, Leon Bruggemeier (both knee)

Cologne
Suspended: None
Doubtful: None
Injured/unavailable: Louis Schaub (acroedema), Lasse Sobiech (adductor); Marco Hoger, Vincent Koziello (both ligaments); Matthias Lehmann (Achilles)

MATCH PREVIEW
MAIN PREDICTION: AWAY WIN
After kicking the new year off with a 2-0 defeat at Regensburg, Paderborn have now registered back-to-back wins, beating Greuther Furth 6-0 at home and Bochum 2-1 away. An impressive run of four wins and only one loss in their last five league matches has seen the side climb up the league table, with Steffen Baumgart's men currently in seventh place, only three points behind Union Berlin in third. They are the second best home side in the league with five wins and six draws.

Cologne are back on track after suffering back-to-back defeats. The side had lost 3-2 to Bochum and 2-0 to Union Berlin before last weekend’s impressive 4-1 triumph over fellow promotion contenders St. Pauli at Rhein Energie Stadium. Markus Anfang’s men have been very strong away from home this season, picking up six wins, one draw and only two defeats from their nine league fixtures on their travels. They do in fact boast the second best away record in Germany's second division.

With both of these clubs in good form, both will be eyeing up all three points from this one. However, I fancy giants Cologne to continue their good run away from home and will predict an away win.

SECOND PREDICTION: HILO – HIGH
This will be a clash between the league's two best attacks. Paderborn have scored 50 goals while Cologne have netted 51 goals so far. A high-scoring affair is on the cards.

HEAD TO HEAD
Paderborn beat Cologne 5-3 at Rhein Energie Stadium earlier in the season, in their first league encounter since meeting in the German top flight back in 2014-15. 

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