Borussia Dortmund – FC Koln

Bundesliga Round 1
Dortmund, August 19, 15:30 CET

Borussia Dortmund wants to, against FC Köln in the first round of the new Bundesliga season, leave behind and forget the traumatic outcome in the last round of the previous season, as soon as possible.
The proud Dortmund team lost the Bundesliga title in the spring at the very end of the last match. Overall, the team has earned sympathy throughout Europe, primarily thanks to the fact that they play uncompromising attacking football, especially on their home field.
FC Koln seems to be the ideal opponent for the start of the season. Last season, this opponent was defeated 6:1, and this match is an opportunity for a new convincing triumph for the home team.
An efficient match is guaranteed: their matches have seen three or more goals scored in eight of the last ten meetings between them in all competitions. The quality of football that Borussia plays in the long term is unquestionable. This team has scored at least two goals in as many as 11 of the last 12 matches in the Bundesliga! At least three goals were scored in all those 11 games. The results during the preparatory period were impressive, of course with a large number of goals in all matches.
Belgian defender Thomas Meunier will not play for the home team due to a muscle injury problem - but his absence is not a big problem for Borussia. Before the injury, Belgian was looking for a new club this summer. American attacking midfielder Giovanni Reyna is doubtful for this game, but the quality of Borussia's rotation in the positions behind the strikers guarantees that it won't be a big problem.
The host is expected to play in a very offensive 4-1-3-2 formation, in which attackers Malen and Haller should have a large number of scoring opportunities. Quality in the organization of the game is guaranteed by Austrian attacking midfielder Marcel Sabitzer, who arrived at the club after half a year at Manchester United.
Borussia is on a streak of 14 matches without defeat at home, and in 28 of the last 30 games they managed to score at least a goal. All this goes in favor of the fact that the FC Koln defense has a tough job ahead of it.
Overall, the visitors play openly, in the last six away games in the Bundesliga, they have scored and conceded ten goals each. In each of those six away games played by FC Koln, both teams managed to score at least a goal. FC Koln also plays in a 4-1-3-2 formation, and it turned out that they are not specialists in a low block tactical approach, nor do they know how to play dominant defensively against the favorites. In the last 12 away games, they conceded goals in ten.
Important news for FC Koln is the recovery of midfielder Dejan Ljubicic, who should start. In the long term, defender Katterbach and forward Dietz are not playing due to serious knee injuries. Forward Jan Thielmann has a problem with a thigh injury.
The German football public rightly expects a match with a large number of goals - and an efficient performance, especially when it comes to the powerful host Borussia Dortmund.