FC Köln vs. Union Berlin preview: Hosts aiming to return to winning ways | OneFootball

FC Köln

Köln are sitting in 10th spot in the Bundesliga table after winning four, drawing four and losing six of their 14 league games this term. The most recent of those four victories took place in a home meeting with Hamburger SV on November 2. Die Geißböcke have added just two points to their tally in their five matches since thrashing Hamburg 4-0, with their most recent game resulting in a 2-0 away defeat against Bayer Leverkusen. That result made it four away games without a win since beating Hoffenheim at the start of October (D1, L3).

Lukas Kwasniok's charges will now return to the RheinEnergieStadion, where they have won just one in their last five competitive matches. Not only will they be targeting maximum points, but Köln will also be keen to produce a strong defensive display, considering they are one of five teams yet to record a home clean sheet in the Bundesliga this season. 

Köln will have fond memories of their last meeting with Union in May 2024, when they fought back from two goals down to pull off a dramatic 3-2 victory. 

Team News

Timo Hübers and Luca Killian remain sidelined with knee injuries, while Joël Schmied and Malek El Mala are out of action due to muscle issues.

Predicted lineup: Schwäbe; Van den Berg, Martel, Heintz; Sebulonsen, Jóhannesson, Krauß, Lund; Thielmann, Kamiński, El Mala

Union Berlin

Union should head into Saturday’s fixture in high spirits after ending a three-game losing run with a 3-1 victory over RB Leipzig on matchday 14. Oliver Burke, Ilyas Ansah and Tim Skarke all found the net to clinch Union’s first home league win since the middle of October. As a result of that victory, die Eisernen will head into the weekend in eighth spot and two points ahead of their opponents. 

Saturday’s game will be Steffen Baumgart’s second meeting with Köln since leaving the RheinEnergieStadion in 2023. The 53-year-old last faced his former employers during his time as Hamburg boss, overseeing a 2-1 victory in the 2.Bundesliga in August 2024. 

Union should fancy their chances of picking up a positive result against Köln, having won eight, drawn two and lost one of their previous 11 head-to-head meetings. They have also won three of their five away meetings with die Geißböcke in the Bundesliga (D1, L1). 

Team News

The visitors are without the injured duo of Robert Skov and Dmytro Bogdanov, while Janik Haberer is suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card of the Bundesliga season. 

Predicted lineup: Rønnow; Doekhi, Querfeld, Leite; Trimmel, Khedira, Kemlein, Köhn; Jeong, Ansah; Burke