Borussia Dortmund XI vs FC Koln – Predicted lineup and team news

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The Football Faithful

·7 March 2026

Borussia Dortmund XI vs FC Koln – Predicted lineup and team news

Borussia Dortmund travel to face Koln in the Bundesliga at the RheinEnergieStadion on Saturday.

Dortmund are looking to secure Champions League football, while Koln need points to keep some distance from the bottom three.

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Dortmund are in much better form going into this fixture, having lost only once in their last 17 league matches, a run that underlines how hard they have been to beat.

In fact, BVB have suffered just two Bundesliga defeats all season and both of those have come against Bayern Munich, including the recent 3-2 reverse at home. Despite that Klassiker setback, Dortmund remain second in the table on 52 points, 11 behind leaders Bayern, and arrive in Cologne with far more momentum than Koln.

Borussia Dortmund news

Dortmund have been hit by a major injury blow ahead of the trip, with captain Emre Can ruled out for the rest of the campaign after tearing the cruciate ligament in his left knee in the loss to Bayern.

The club confirmed the diagnosis after he was forced off before half-time, ending his season and leaving a significant gap in the centre of midfield.

Head coach Niko Kovac called the setback “a big blow for Emre and for us as a team”, underlining how important the 32-year-old is in the dressing room and on the pitch.

There are additional defensive worries for BVB, with centre-back Niklas Sule and young defender Filippo Mane also on the sidelines and not expected back until at least the middle of March.

On top of that, midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka missed the Bayern match because of a muscle problem and remains a doubt for the game against Koln.

Dortmund are likely to assess him closer to kick-off before deciding whether he can be involved or if he needs more time to recover.