Open exchange at the end of the matchday?
On the side of Eintracht Frankfurt there is currently an attacker who increases his market value almost weekly and plays himself on the notepads of virtually all European top clubs. We are talking of course about Randal Kolo Muani, who not only scored twice in last weekend’s 3-0 home win over Hertha, but also played a key role in the victory in the Rhine-Main derby in the DFB Pokal against Darmstadt with two goals during the week.
With 20 goals already this season, the Frenchman is by far the best scorer in the German top flight. Only a certain Erling Haaland can keep up with these numbers. With Kolo Muani, the fifth-placed team from the financial metropolis travels to the cathedral city this weekend. And who knows, maybe it will pay off to bet on a goal by the 24-year-old, who came from Nantes on a free transfer before the season, in the match between Cologne and Frankfurt. In any case, the odds for this are a respectable 2.87.
All in all, we can look forward to an interesting clash between two teams that have not yet suffered a single defeat in the 2023 calendar year. After two goalless draws in a row, the Rhinelanders will certainly be looking to get back on track and score again, while the SGE will be aiming to remain unbeaten in Germany’s top division for the eighth time in a row.
The omens for the last match of the 20th matchday could hardly be better. Nevertheless, between Cologne and Frankfurt, a forecast on the three-way market turns out to be particularly complicated.
Cologne – statistics & current form
1. FC Köln currently reside in no-man’s land in the table. They are eleven points behind the European Cup places, but at the same time have a comfortable cushion of seven points on the relegation places. Most recently, the Geißböcke went without a win three times in a row. After a very promising start with a 7:1 home win against Werder Bremen, they recently only managed a draw three times in a row.
However, because the opponents in two of these three matches, FC Bayern and RB Leipzig, were prominent and of the highest calibre, the management team around head coach Steffen Baumgart is definitely satisfied with the football year 2023 so far. For the first time in the past nine years, the Rhinelanders are still unbeaten after the first four matches following the turn of the year.
Is Cologne finally convincing offensively again?
While the defence has been making a name for itself recently, recording a clean sheet in two consecutive matches for the first time under Baumgart in the Bundesliga, the offence is struggling at the moment.
There is certainly hope that this problem will subside with Sunday’s match, after all, the Effzeh have scored 18 of their total 29 goals for the season in front of a home crowd. In five of nine home games, a bet on the over 2.5 would have gone through. Incidentally, the team in last place in the table has already scored a total of 60 goals in 19 matches this season, i.e. more than three on average.
The aforementioned 18 goals in front of their own fans were only topped by a Cologne first division team in 2000/01. Even though Tigges and Co. have scored the fewest goals of all 18 Bundesliga clubs after the winter break (only two less than Eintracht), we are not averse to playing the odds on a match between Cologne and Frankfurt with at least two goals. We think it is rather unlikely that Steffen Baumgart’s run-intensive power football will result in a low-scoring match for a third time in a row.
Last games of Cologne:
Bundesliga
04/02/2023 – 1. FC Köln 0 – 0 RB Leipzig
29/01/2023 – Schalke 04 0 – 0 1. FC Köln
25/01/2023 – Bayern Munich 1 – 1 1. FC Köln
22/01/2023 – 1. FC Köln 7 – 1 Werder Bremen
Club friendlies
14/01/2023 – 1. FC Köln 5 – 0 Lommel
Frankfurt – Statistics & current form
Frankfurter Eintracht continue to ride the wave of success. In the meantime, it is no longer a surprise that the Hessians are aiming for their second Champions League participation in a row in the Bundesliga. In addition, there was an ultimately quite commanding success in the cup derby against Darmstadt during the week.
In addition, there are still the highlight matches in the top flight against the Italian industry leaders from Naples. By the way, if you would like to get an insight into how the locals celebrate their Partenopei at the foot of Mount Vesuvius in the current high season
Efficiency is the keyword at the SGE
However, there is no lack of self-confidence and a positive basic atmosphere at the Adlerträgern. Eintracht are now unbeaten in seven Bundesliga games, have not lost any of their last five away games at national level and also travel to the cathedral city with perhaps the best attacker in the Bundesliga at the moment. All of these factors suggest that the odds on a three-goal win for the visitors should be checked before the exciting clash between Cologne and Frankfurt.
Alternatively, betting on at least three goals in the course of the game can be recommended from the SGE’s point of view. The Hessians are not the second-best offensive team in the league for nothing, with 40 goals scored, and have scored in every league match since the beginning of October.
In eight of the most recent eleven games in the German top flight, a bet on over 2.5 goals after 90 minutes would have come true. The impressions from the cup match during the week, when Glasner’s team looked a bit erratic defensively from time to time, also underline our Over approach. If the black and red team can maintain their current 80% chance conversion rate, we can expect a lively exchange of blows.
Last matches of Frankfurt:
DFB Cup
08/02/2023 – Eintracht Frankfurt 4 – 2 Darmstadt
Bundesliga
04/02/2023 – Eintracht Frankfurt 3 – 0 Hertha BSC
29/01/2023 – Bayern Munich 1 – 1 Eintracht Frankfurt
26/01/2023 – SC Freiburg 1 – 1 Eintracht Frankfurt
21/01/2023 – Eintracht Frankfurt 3 – 0 Schalke 04
Cologne – Frankfurt Direct Comparison / H2H Balance
For the 94th time the clubs face each other in Germany’s best football league. Cologne lead the direct comparison by a whisker with 33 wins compared to 31 defeats and 29 draws.
In the recent past, too, it has been the Rhinelanders who have made their mark on these pairings. The SGE has only triumphed in one of the last seven occasions. The Hessians have also only managed one away win in the past 15 attempts in the carnival stronghold. The first leg ended in a 1-1 draw. For the sixth time in a row, a maximum of two goals were scored between these teams. So it’s time for another goal-filled spectacle.
Cologne – Frankfurt Tip
A kind of favourite opponent awaits 1. FC Köln on Sunday evening in the form of Frankfurt Eintracht at the end of the 20th matchday in the Bundesliga. The Rhinelanders have not won more points at home against any other opponent than against the Hessians. Only one of the past 15 home games was lost and the Geißböcke also scored at least simply in six of the most recent seven direct BL duels.
Nevertheless, we are far from betting on a home win between Cologne and Frankfurt this weekend. Glasner’s team has been too stable this season. They have not lost seven BL matches in a row. They have not lost any of their last five matches away from home. Considering the recent impressions, we even think a win for the visitors is the more realistic outcome of the match.
To avoid the question of the winner in this match at least a little bit, we switch to the goal market and play the betting odds for at least three goals in the course of the match in the duel Cologne vs Frankfurt.
