On Saturday afternoon, Koln hosts Mainz at the RheinEnergieStadion in a game that could have a big say in who plays European football from the Bundesliga next season.
Koln’s European challenge has rather faltered in recent weeks after a poor run of results in the Bundesliga. A 1-0 defeat at Union Berlin last time out means that the Billy Goats have won just one of their last five league matches.
The poor league results have left Stefan Baumgart’s team four points adrift of the league's top six.
Their recent Bundesliga encounters have been low-scoring, tight affairs, with under 2.5 goals scored in their last six matches in the German top-flight.
Koln’s recent home record could not be more inconsistent, as the Billy Goats have won two, lost two and drawn one of their last five league matches at the RheinEnergieStadion.
Like their recent league games in general, Koln’s home matches have been low-scoring of late, with under 2.5 goals scored in six of their previous seven league matches on home soil.
Mainz now looks like outsiders for a European place, as the visitors are six points behind sixth-place Hoffenheim, with only six league matches remaining.
Bo Svensson’s team head into this clash on the back of just one win in their last five Bundesliga outings. To make matters worse the 05ers have lost three of those five league games, including suffering a midweek 2-1 defeat at Augsburg.
The visitors are winless in their last nine away games in the Bundesliga, having suffered seven defeats in the process.
Defensive weaknesses have been a key factor in their recent poor away form in the Bundesliga, as they have conceded at least two goals in six of their last nine away matches.
With not much between these two teams in the table, it is unsurprising that Forebet predicts that this game will produce a low-scoring encounter.