Cologne vs. Bochum: Preview and betting tips

Cologne and Bochum will play a poor football programme on Friday. While the home side would like to qualify for Europe as they did this year, the visitors are busy trying to save themselves. What to expect from the match and what to bet on?

Compared to last year’s fabulous season, Cologne are unlikely to attack the cups this year, but on the other hand, they are not relegation-bound either.

It is 12th in the table, eight points behind the top seven guaranteeing participation in the European Cup.

Bochum lost the last four rounds and dropped to last place. However, the table is so even at the bottom that only a better score separates them from direct rescue. 14. and 18th place is even a single point away.

Cologne’s key figures

Defensive midfielder Ellyes Skhiri keeps the home side in midfield, the Tunisian international has scored six times and assisted once. German playmaker Steffen Tigges also scored six goals, adding two assists.

Bochum’s key figures

The visitors owe a lot of their points to forward Philipp Hofmann, who netted eight goals and assisted on three. Central midfielder Philipp Förster has been in the team since the assists. He already has six goals, plus two assists.

Cologne have been relatively successful since the Qatar World Cup, losing only two of their eight Bundesliga games, netting seven once against Werder Bremen. It has only scored more than once in two of the eight rounds this year.

Bochum, on the other hand, is the sovereign worst defensively in the league. 56 goals received makes an average of 2.4 goals per round, more than once cashed in the past eight games through all competitions.

Considering the decent form of Cologne’s defensive line, on the contrary the dysfunctional defensive line of Bochum, as well as the pressure on the visitors taking into account their position in the table, it can be assumed that the home side will win.