Preview:Borussia Monchengladbach vs FC Koln - prediction, team news, lineups

Borussia Park will be the staging ground for the latest Rhine derby between Borussia Monchengladbach and newly-promoted visitors FC Koln on Saturday, with European football and Bundesliga survival on the agenda.

The hosts are third last in 16th place with six points, but they managed to pick up their first win of the league season when they beat St Pauli 4-0 on November 1, while the seventh-placed visitors' victory against Hamburger SV a day later means they come into the match with 14 points.

Match preview

Borussia Monchengladbach managed to keep their first clean sheet in four games, and they produced their highest xG total (2.4) in a single match this term.

Interim boss Eugen Polanski's side are only one point ahead of the bottom two, but a victory on the weekend could take them as high as 12th should results go in their favour.

Having also beaten Karlsruher SC 3-1 in the DFB-Pokal on October 28, the club have scored as many times in their past two as they had in their prior eight in all competitions.

Die Fohlen's two triumphs followed a streak of eight without a win, with the team taking nothing from five of those games while also failing to score on five occasions.

Polanski will hope that his side can emerge as victors at home for the first time in the league this season and avoid a fourth defeat in five Bundesliga matches at Borussia Park.

FC Koln's unlikely charge up the Bundesliga table shows no signs of slowing down, with the club only two points from sixth-placed Hoffenheim, who occupy the division's Conference League qualification spot.

Their strong start to the campaign is impressive considering just 32 points were needed to guarantee safety in 2024-25, and they are on track to tally 53 in 2025-26.

The Billy Goats are not only unbeaten in three games against Gladbach - winning once - but they have also never previously headed into the Rhine derby nine places in front of their rivals.

Head coach Lukas Kwasniok has guided the team to two defeats, one draw and one victory in their last four contests, with his players scoring six goals and conceding seven times.

FC Koln's record away from home in their past four is the same as their overall record, though those losses came against second-placed RB Leipzig and third-placed Borussia Dortmund.

Borussia Monchengladbach Bundesliga form:

Borussia Monchengladbach form (all competitions):

FC Koln Bundesliga form:

FC Koln form (all competitions):

Team News

Gladbach will be without midfielder Jens Castrop due to suspension, so perhaps the hosts will start a trio consisting of of Rocco Reitz, Yannik Engelhardt and Florian Neuhaus on Saturday.

Though defender Fabio Chiarodia is unavailable, Philipp Sander, Nico Elvedi and Kevin Diks have been declared fit.

Haris Tabakovic is the club's leading scorer with five goals, and he could be joined in the frontline by Franck Honorat.

The visitors are also dealing with injuries, including to centre-backs Rav van den Berg and Luca Kilian, whose places in their team's back three are likely to be filled by Joel Schmied, Eric Martel and Cenk Ozkacar.

Jakub Kaminski and Said El Mala are set to support number nine Ragnar Ache considering Jan Thielmann has been ruled out due to a hamstring injury.

Borussia Monchengladbach possible starting lineup:

Nicolas; Sander, Elvedi, Diks; Scally, Reitz, Engelhardt, Neuhaus, Ullrich; Honorat, Tabakovic

FC Koln possible starting lineup:

Schwabe; Schmied, Martel, Ozkacar; Sebulonsen, Johannesson, Huseinbasic, Lund; Kaminski, El Mala; Ache

We say: Borussia Monchengladbach 1-1 FC Koln

Had the two sides clashed earlier in the campaign, FC Koln may have been expected to win comfortably, but Gladbach's performances have improved recently.

The Billy Goats won convincingly last time out, so while they may encounter some difficulties on the weekend, they should still have enough quality to earn at least a point.

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