German Bundesliga - Hoffenheim vs. Cologne - Preview & Prediction
A seven-game winless run takes 9th-placed Hoffenheim to a home contest against 10th-placed Cologne, who have drawn their last two outings. Kick-off - at 14:30 PM ET on Wednesday, May 27.
Hoffenheim Tie In Paderborn
Hoffenheim continued to alternate between losses and draws for the sixth consecutive game (D3 L3) after following up a 3-0 home defeat to Hertha Berlin with a 1-1 tie versus bottom-dwelling Paderborn at Benteler-Arena on Saturday. Danish left wing-back, Robert Skov, playing in a more advanced attacking role, opened the scoring with his fourth snipe of the season just four minutes into the contest before the hosts tied the proceedings at 1-1 five minutes later. Die Kraichgauer have now failed to win for seven consecutive games (D3 L4) after banking four victories in five outings prior (W4 L1). They are 9th in the league (W10 D6 L11), trailing the top-six by three points.
Forwards Andrej Kramaric and Sargis Adamyan, who lead Hoffenheim with seven and five strikes this season respectively, are both out with ankle problems, leaving Christoph Baumgartner as the team’s most potent scoring threat, with his four snipes of the season still having been delivered with a goal-per-273-minutes ratio. Keeper Oliver Baumann, meanwhile, sits 7th in the Bundesliga with 79 saves made so far this year, having also posted four clean sheets in 23 starts. He allows a goal every 48 minutes.
Cologne Salvage A Draw
A second consecutive 2-2 draw was on the cards for Cologne, who followed up their four-goal tie with Mainz on May 17 with exactly the same result against Fortuna Dusseldorf at RheinEnergieStadion on Sunday. The Billy Goats outshot the visitors 15-10, delivering six shots on the goal, and controlled 61% of the ball, but missed a penalty and found themselves trailing 2-0 after the 61st minute before Anthony Modeste and Jhon Cordoba scored in the dying minutes of the game to extend Cologne’s point streak to five outings (W3 D2). The team sits 10th in the league (W10 D4 L13), five points off a place in the top-six.
Colombian striker Cordoba leads The Billy Goats with 11 markers this year and will be eager to score his fourth career snipe against Hoffenheim - a team he is yet to beat as a player (D1 L3). Attacking midfielder Mark Uth and defender Sebastiaan Bornauw are next on Cologne’s scoring chart with five goals each. Goalie Timo Horn, meanwhile, occupies the 10th place in the Bundesliga, having stopped 70 shots in 27 appearances this season. He has recorded six clean sheets and allows a goal every 50 minutes on average.
Prediction
Hoffenheim have beaten Cologne on the last three occasions with a combined score of 11-1. Don’t expect a similar scenario on Wednesday, though! Die Kraichgauer will be without both of their top scorers in Andrej Kramaric and Sargis Adamyan, having already managed to net just three snipes in their last five fixtures. Cologne, meanwhile, has banked 14 strikes in their last five games, keeping a clean sheet in two of them. With three goals in four career appearances against Hoffenheim, the Billy Goats’ top marksman Jhon Cordoba is an excellent pick for an anytime-scorer bet as well!
Best bets:
Cologne to win (+170)
Jhon Cordoba to score anytime (+150)
