FC Koln will be desperate to pick up their first points of the 2020-21 Bundesliga season when they host in-form Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.
Indeed, after a disappointing 1-1 draw at home to newly-promoted Arminia Bielefeld on the opening day, Frankfurt secured two consecutive wins prior to the international break to move up to third in the table.
Match preview
© Reuters
It has been a difficult start to the new campaign for Koln, who are adjusting to life without their top goalscorer Jhon Cordoba from last season after the forward's £13.5m move to Hertha Berlin during the summer.
Having replaced Achim Beierlorzer last November, former Hamburger SV and Hoffenheim manager Markus Gisdol helped achieve the club's primary aim of survival in their first season back in the top-flight last season.
However, after using the money received for Cordoba to purchase Ondrej Duda, Sebastian Andersson and Dimitrios Limnios, there may have been cautiously optimistic hopes of finishing in a higher position this time around.
Instead, given they are currently languishing on zero points from three matches, it looks set to be another relegation dog fight for Die Giessbocke this season.
© Reuters
Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, Frankfurt looked like they may have had mild relegation concerns themselves last season, but Adi Hutter's side picked up significantly after the resumption of the Bundesliga in May to finish in ninth place.
There certainly appears to be no such worries this campaign, with a European qualification spot firmly in their sights after an excellent start to the season.
Strikers Bas Dost and Andre Silva have begun the campaign in brilliant form with two league goals each in three matches.
Moreover, Die Adler showed the type of spirit which was lacking at times throughout last season when overturning a one goal deficit to beat high-flying Hoffenheim 2-1.
Given Koln's contrasting woes, Hutter and his side will be supremely confident of winning to give themselves a great chance of moving top of the league by the end of the weekend.
FC Koln Bundesliga form: LLL
FC Koln form (all competitions): WLLL
Eintracht Frankfurt Bundesliga form: DWW
Eintracht Frankfurt form (all competitions): WDWW
Team News
© Reuters
Striker Anthony Modeste, who finished third in the 2016-17 Bundesliga top goalscorer chart with 25 goals for Koln, is yet to feature this season due to a knee injury and is unlikely to recover in time for this match.
Florian Kainz is out for the foreseeable future having undergone knee surgery and Benno Schmitz is struggling with an ankle injury, but captain Jonas Hector, Jorge Mere and Ismail Jakobs should be fit to return.
Gisdol switched to a back five in the defeat to Borussia Monchengladbach to little effect so may revert to his usual back four system if he wishes to take the game to Frankfurt.
Creative winger Filip Kostic remains injured for the visitors after damaging a ligament in the win at Hertha Berlin, while Ragnar Ache and Jetro Willems will also miss out.
Silva and Dost should continue in attack with the mercurial Daichi Kamada behind them in the number 10 role, which could prove too much to handle for the struggling hosts.
FC Koln possible starting lineup:
T. Horn; Ehizibue, Bornauw, Czichos, J. Horn; Skhiri, Hector; Rexhbecaj, Duda, Thielmann; Andersson
Eintracht Frankfurt possible starting lineup:
Trapp; Abraham, Hasebe, Hinteregger; Toure, Rode, Ilsanker, Zuber; Kamada; Dost, Silva
We say: FC Koln 1-3 Eintracht Frankfurt
Frankfurt are yet to keep a clean sheet this season, while Koln have scored in defeat in both home games so we can see them scoring past Kevin Trapp.
However, with Dost and Silva in excellent form in attack and the hosts looking a little leaky at the back, we think the visitors' firepower will help ensure three wins on the bounce, which they did not achieve throughout the whole of last season.
