FC Köln vs Werder Bremen preview: An early midtable battle | OneFootball

FC Köln

Koln had a flying start to the season, but then they crashed back down to Earth the following week.

First, the good. The Billy Goats were given a tough assignment to begin, hosting one of Germany’s better teams, Hoffenheim. Things were going as neutrals would’ve expected when the opposition took the lead, but Said El Mala equalized shortly after the break.

Even though Hoffenheim had a penalty kick saved, they restored their advantage 10 minutes later thanks to a header from Ozan Kabak. Koln didn’t fade away, though. Instead they pulled off a remarkably quick comeback, scoring twice in rapid succession via substitute Thijs Dallinga, who had only been on the field for a few moments. They ultimately held on to secure three big points on opening day.

Then came the bad. The Carnival Club travelled to VfB Stuttgart and were beaten pretty soundly. The first goal didn’t come until the end of the half, but it came way too easily as Bilal El Khannouss walked through the defense before slotting home.

Stuttgart scored again 15 minutes into the second half, and then they scored another 15 minutes after that. An own-goal late on put some intrigue into the contest, but then a scorcher from Josha Vagnoman in stoppage time put a bow on proceedings.

In Koln’s defense, they were up against a very talented team in a wild environment. However, some of the defending was not up to par. You can’t play like that against anyone. The silver lining was the attack continued to create chances, and probably should’ve had another goal.

Now they’ll be back at their own home, and the RheinEnergieStadion can offer a real home-field advantage. If the forward line is a little more clinical, it could be party time on Saturday. Then again, another defensive showing like that will leave fans worried about the year ahead.

Team newsThe Billy Goats have a number of key players who are questionable for this game, with Saïd El Mala, Thijs Dallinga, Sebastian Sebulonsen, Timo Hübers, Gian-Luca Waldschmidt all at risk of missing out.

Predicted lineupsSchwabe, Castro-Montes, Simpson-Pusey, Lochoshvili, Mensah, Johannesson, Krauß, Skhiri, Moore, Ache, Maina

Werder Bremen

Just when it seemed like Werder Bremen were on the cusp of falling apart, they redeemed themselves.

At home to RB Leipzig, the feeling was that the Bremen faithful were in for a long day. They had not started the Bundesliga campaign well at all after being blown out by Freiburg. There were also major injury concerns, and they had to go into the weekend with a number of key names unavailable.

However, they came out flying. Werder were boosted by their passionate support in the stadium, pressing the opposition very high. That led to a goal, as Chuki slipped through Eren Dinkci, who then slotted home in an emotional moment for the returning academy kid. Things calmed down afterward, although both teams had chances.

Bremen eventually made it two past the hour mark. It was another returning striker who got the goal, this time being Niclas Fullkrug who powered home a header from a corner. The team kept pushing, and eventually Marco Grüll sealed the result with a third goal late on.

Even though Leipzig pulled back a consolation goal in stoppage time, the mood was not dampened too much at the Weserstadion. Fans had wanted to see some fight from the Green-Whites, and that’s exactly what they got.

The two goalscorers looked promising, and they could be key in leading an attack that struggled a ton last season. Youri Regeer had to come into the starting lineup after only just recently joining the club, and yet he put on a stellar performance. The backline also bounced back very well after many questioned them in recent days.

Now the onus will be on Daniel Thioune to keep up the momentum. Werder cannot let this performance be an isolated incident, a fluke. There’s talent in the side, and if the system is set up properly then those players could shine. They can't rest on the praise they got in this showing, though. They have to keep fighting.

A win here would go a long way in proving their credentials this season. While the main target is avoiding relegation, Werder do not want to be a team who hang around the bottom of the table. They want to push higher and contend for European places. Another three points here could really boost those efforts.

Team newsBremen’s injury report is about the same as last week, as Felix Agu, Senne Lynen, Jens Stage, Justin Njinmah, and Keke Topp will miss out once again.

Predicted lineupsHein, Arthur, Pieper, Friedl, Deman, Regeer, Reis, Chuki, Dincki, Fullkrug, Grull