FC Koln vs Darmstadt prediction: GERMANY: Bundesliga betting tips on match 2024-04-19 13:30.
[p]In a game which could be a 2.Bundesliga encounter next season, second-bottom Cologne welcome the all but doomed Darmstadt, with the hosts able to mathematically consign Darmstadt to a bottom-three finish with a victory here. That is a win Cologne sorely need, as just one victory across their last nine league games (D4, L4) has left them in danger of ending their five-season stay in the top flight.[/p]
[p]Cologne have picked up at least 12 fewer points than at the same stage in three of the last four seasons, highlighting the severity of their plight this season. The Billy Goats can at least afford some cautious optimism ahead of this after remaining unbeaten in league action against fellow bottom-four opponents (W2, D2), although Cologne boss Timo Schultz will have to overcome some negative personal history here if they are going to get the three points, as he’s winless against his opposite number Torsten Lieberknecht (D1, L2). [/p]
[p]Lierberknecht looks up against it keeping that positive touchline H2H record intact as Darmstadt continue to battle in vain to extend their one-season stay in the top-flight. Their previous Bundesliga campaign also saw them finish rock-bottom, albeit with 11 more points than they currently hold. That’s largely down to a sorry 22-game winless run (D7, L15) after both of their league wins this term came back-to-back during October last year.[/p]
[p]That streak has contributed to only three sides in Bundesliga history picking up fewer than their paltry 14-point haul after 29 games of the season (calculated at three points for a win). Building on that haul away from home isn’t out of reach for the Lilies though, who have played out stalemates in three of their last five trips (D3, L2), although they do remain winless at any venue against the five sides sitting directly above them (D2, L6). [/p]
[p]Players to watch: Luca Waldschmidt scored a late winner for Cologne in their only success since early February and could find himself having a bigger role to play with top scorer Davie Selke out with a broken leg. Darmstadt’s top-scorer is also likely to miss this through injury so they may look to Swedish forward Oscar Vilhelmsson, who scored their most recent goal ahead of a pair of defeats without reply. [/p]
[p]Hot stat: Cologne have failed to win eight of their 11 league games when scoring first this season. [/p]