The fight for survival in the Bundesliga has opened right up in recent weeks, as 17th place Mainz have suddenly upped their game and are within touching distance of safety.
One of the teams that will be looking over their shoulders slightly nervously will be Koln, who host Werder Bremen on Sunday afternoon.
The Billy Goats are currently four points clear of the danger zone, but a poor recent run of form could yet drag them into the fight for survival this season. Markus Gisdol’s team have now suffered three straight defeats after a 5-1 hammering at the league's dominant force Bayern Munich last time out.
Although the defeat was understandable considering the opposition, the game saw the home team’s recent defensive displays continue.
Koln have now kept just one clean sheet in their previous ten Bundesliga outings. Only three teams have worse defensive records in the German top-flight, two of those are in trouble in the Bundesliga.
Koln’s recent home record is woeful, as they have won just one of their last 16 Bundesliga games at the Rhein Energie Stadion.
Werder Bremen are enjoying a slightly better Bundesliga campaign than last season. The visitors are in 12th place in the table, eight points clear of the relegation play-off spot and 11 adrift of the European places.
The Green and Whites’ recent form has been mixed, but they have suffered just one defeat in their last five league matches.
They ended a three-game winless run in the Bundesliga by recording an impressive 2-1 home win over in-form Eintracht Frankfurt last time out.
Bremen have struggled for goals on their travels of late, as they go into this clash on the back of just two wins in their previous ten away matches in the German top-flight.
Forebet predicts that this clash will be a tight and low-scoring one ending in a draw, which will not make the home side any more secure in the table.