Bundesliga returns with Bayer Leverkusen taking on Cologne at BayArena this Friday.
Thanks to a goalless draw with Union Berlin, the hosts kept their quest for an unlikely top-four finish alive last time. The result means they finished the last round in sixth position, with their hunt for a European place well on course.
They come into this tie on an impressive run of nine league games without defeat (W6, D3), the longest ongoing unbeaten run in the Bundesliga.
Xabi Alonso’s side’s unbeaten run also extends to 14 games across all competitions (W10, D4). It has made the former Liverpool man one of the most sought-after coaches in Europe, with Tottenham contacting him to become boss.
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But Alonso has insisted that he is focused on the job at BayArena, where he is looking to help Leverkusen as they look to notch another league win ahead of their crucial UEFA Europa League semi-final next week.
Die Werkself return home to BayArena in good form, having won five of their last six competitive games here, scoring at least twice in each victory. So they will fancy their chances of getting a win here.
Meanwhile, Cologne’s chances of surviving relegation took a big hit last weekend as they were beaten 1-0 by Freiburg. But they are close to sealing their place in the league, having already collected 35 points.
That point 35-point haul would have seen them safe each season since 2016/17. So surpassing the 35-point here against an in-form opposition side is a big task, especially as manager Steffen Baumgart has won just once across his six meetings with Bayer Leverkusen (W1, D1, L4).
But having ended a run of seven games without a win away from home with a pair of 3-1 wins over Augsburg and Hoffenheim, they will be encouraged that they could get a win here. However, extending that winning run to three would be almost impossible, as the Billy Goats last won three straight top-flight away games in 1996.
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