Positive tension

Match preview ahead of home game vs. Köln
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Yuya Osako scored a brace against his former club Köln on the final day of last season (Photo: nordphoto).
preliminary report
Thursday, 05.11.2020 / 16:32

Werder fans will certainly not have forgotten the feelings of relief and euphoria after managing to escape automatic relegation against Köln on the final day of last season. Now, the Billy Goats return to the wohninvest WESERSTADION on Friday night (6/11/2020, 20:30 CET) to open matchday 7 of the Bundesliga. This time, the situation is not the same, which is why head coach Florian Kohfeldt is eager to avoid drawing any comparisons between then and now. “It was definitely a special game, but it’s not something we’re focusing on during our preparations for this weekend,” he said. Despite that, the head coach can feel a certain tension within his team, who are looking for a win after recording three draws in a row.

The squad: Whereas Patrick Erras will return to the squad, Felix Agu will not be able to feature after testing positive for Covid-19 again. The defender will need to remain in quarantine until next week at least. Niclas Füllkrug (calf injury) will likely only return after the international break, with Ludwig Augustinsson (thigh strain) and Davie Selke (groin problems) also a doubt for this weekend. “I can’t provide an exact timeframe, we’ll likely make a decision later today or tomorrow morning at the latest,” said Kohfeldt.

A tough 90 minutes

Florian Kohfeldt is expecting to face a strong Köln side (Photo: nordphoto).

The head coach on the game: According to Kohfeldt, it would be a mistake to assume that tomorrow’s game will be an easy win. Köln really do have a lot of individual talent and they work well as a team. Even if their results haven’t been as good over the last few weeks, they have a clear game plan,” said Kohfeldt, who also referred to the tough fixtures Köln have had to start the season. He added that head coach Markus Gisdol’s side are “very good on the counter-press and in putting their opponents under pressure.” However, Kohfeldt is expecting his side to have more possession on Friday night than they did last time out against Eintracht Frankfurt. Werder’s attack will see some rotation, according to Kohfeldt: “I think we will be utilizing different players in attack. We need to play with pace and link up well.” Werder will be looking to use the confidence they have won from their games so far to their advantage on Friday, with there being a ‘positive’ feeling of tension within the team, according to Kohfeldt. “Twelve points from seven games would be great, and that’s what we’re looking to get,” he said. “But, we have a tough 90 minutes standing in the way of that.”

The most recent meeting: Who could forget Werder’s 6-1 win in the wohninvest WESERSTADION on 27th June of this year? It was a do-or-die game for Werder on the final day of the 2019/20 season. In the end, the Green-Whites saved themselves from automatic relegation and entered the playoffs. Union Berlin’s 3-0 win against Fortuna Düsseldorf provided a helping hand to Werder’s hopes, but the Green-Whites did their part as well in order to pull off a last-gasp escape from the drop. It was also Werder’s biggest Bundesliga win in the last 11 years. Yuya Osako (22’, 58’), Milot Rashica (27’), Niclas Füllkrug (29’), Davy Klaassen (55’), Josh Sargent (68’) and Köln’s Dominick Drexler (62’) all got on the scoresheet that day.

Curbing the momentum

Leonardo Bittencourt spent three years at Köln (Photo: nordphoto).

Head-to-head: In 94 competitive meetings, Werder and Köln have both won 35 times, alongside 24 draws. After an eight-game winless run for Werder, the Green-Whites have won two of the last three Bundesliga meetings between the sides. Werder are particularly strong at home against Köln, losing just one of the last 15 home games against the Billy Goats (W11, D3).

On the defensive: Köln are without a win in 16 Bundesliga games (D6, L10), and have picked up just two points this season. Last weekend, however, the Billy Goats put up a strong fight against FC Bayern, and looked like they might be able to take something from the record champions before ultimately falling to a 2-1 defeat. Bayern managed just seven shots on target against Köln, which poses a challenge for Werder’s offense on Friday.

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