Can Wolfsburg make it out of mediocrity?
Wolfsburg are playing an average season in many areas and have not achieved everything they had hoped for this season. Coach Niko Kovac is not yet up for debate, but he also has to deliver. And now comes Cologne, who have their backs to the wall
The bookmakers’ Wolfsburg vs. Cologne prediction indicates a favorite role for the home side. Wolfsburg must try to bring their superiority, which they undoubtedly have, onto the pitch. Then it looks good in terms of a three-pointer
However, it can be tricky if Cologne throw everything into it and play compactly. Our Wolfsburg vs. Cologne betting tip is that the hosts will not lose and that less than 3.5 goals will be scored.
Wolfsburg – Statistics & current form
Wolfsburg have not had an outstanding season so far. There were some good approaches right at the start, but these could not be continued. Offensively in particular, far too much has depended on Jonas Wind, who is by far the best scorer. The pressure on coach Niko Kovac is growing, the situation is not easy at the moment because Wolfsburg always have the ambition to play for Europe.
“It’s time for three points again,” said Kovac ahead of the upcoming match against Cologne. He continued: “The statistics against Cologne have been good for a long time, but we play at home and have played well here. I think we’re a much stronger team at home than away and we want to win now.”
That can also be seen in the figures. Wolfsburg scored twice as many points on average in home games as away. Four of the eight games at home were won, compared to only two out of ten away. Defensively, things are also much better, with nine goals conceded at home compared to 20 away. That’s something to build on for this game, if it weren’t for Cologne, who have repeatedly scored in Wolfsburg in recent years
Wolfsburg must improve
In the last three league games, Wolfsburg have picked up just two points and have only scored once in their last twelve league games. The defense keeps conceding goals, and the team’s second-best scorer only has three goals to his name. The fact that the Wolfsburg vs. Cologne odds are still quite clearly in favor of the Wolves is also due to their opponents.
The next games against Cologne, Hoffenheim and Union are hugely important, after which Wolfsburg face Dortmund, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Leverkusen. In the worst-case scenario, the Wolves could even slip into the fight against relegation. The team, which has already squandered 15 points this season after taking the lead and has only won two of its last twelve league games, is determined to prevent that from happening.
Wolfsburg have more quality than Cologne, but are also under a little pressure at the moment. Based on the signs ahead of the Wolfsburg v Cologne match, our prediction is that the hosts will not lose and that fewer than 3.5 goals will be scored
Predicted Wolfsburg line-up:
Cologne – Statistics & current form
For 1. FC Köln, things are looking very bleak this season. The team is not playing well, the squad is not homogeneous, some players are missing due to injuries and, to make matters worse, a transfer ban is preventing new players from being signed. The overall package is therefore anything but ideal, even for the new coach Timo Schultz.
He initially sees the defense as the core problem, saying at the press conference: “Above all, we have to play to nil. If we prevent goals being conceded, it might also be easier for us to score some.” Cologne recently conceded four goals against BVB, but the offense is actually almost more of a concern. Cologne have the worst attacking line-up in the league, scoring just eleven goals
At the moment, Selke is still missing the player who brings that certain punch. The coach still has some catching up to do, especially with set-pieces: “It’s positive that we had 13 corners against Dortmund. Nevertheless, no goal was scored from them. That has a lot to do with the free run behavior and how many guys are in the box in general. “
Cologne: Not a good forecast for the game
Cologne urgently need points, their biggest trump card in the fight against relegation so far is that their rivals Union, Mainz and Darmstadt are also scoring poorly. In all likelihood, these four teams will also decide the last four places among themselves. In purely qualitative terms, however, Cologne do not have too many arguments on their side.
The bookmakers also see it that way, as the Wolfsburg vs Cologne betting odds clearly show that a win for the visitors is unlikely. But who knows, even a point could be sold as a success if they improve their performance. However, a lot has to go right for that to happen, including the admittedly somewhat battered opponent.
Cologne are currently lacking a lot of things, which is why our value tip ahead of the Wolfsburg v Cologne game is that the team from Lower Saxony will take the three points in this match
Predicted line-up for Cologne:
Wolfsburg – Cologne head-to-head comparison / H2H result
Overall, Wolfsburg lead the direct comparison against Cologne. The Wolves have 19 wins, while the Effzeh have won ten times. With 74:52 goals, Wolfsburg are also ahead here
Wolfsburg – Cologne betting tip
Admittedly, both teams are under pressure in this game. Wolfsburg perhaps a little more due to the home game, Cologne’s pressure is a little different. In any case, neither team can afford to lose
Ahead of the Wolfsburg v Cologne match, our prediction is that the hosts will not lose the game and that fewer than 3.5 goals will be scored in the match.
