FC Koln vs Heidenheim prediction: GERMANY: Bundesliga betting tips on match 2024-01-12 14:30.
A new year, a new coach and new optimism at Cologne after Timo Schultz took over from Steffen Baumgart and immediately declared, “we’ll stay up – I one hundred percent believe that.” After three winless Bundesliga games (D1, L2) left his new side three points shy of 15th-placed Union Berlin in the relegation zone, it was no surprise that changes were made before things got much worse.
One of the first things he has to address is poor home form (W1, D2, L4), which has also seen the Billy Goats fail to score in each of their last two Bundesliga matches at RheinEnergieStadion (D1, L1). But perhaps Schultz already has something to work with as their 0-0 draw with Mainz in their last home outing prior to the winter pause was their first league clean sheet on home turf since early April.
There have been no such problems for Heidenheim of late, as they finished the first part of the season with three straight league wins via one-goal margins, meaning they’ve accrued twice as many points as their hosts already this term (W6, D2, L8). Sitting inside the top half represents a dream start to life in the top-flight but there’s no room for complacency, as just two seasons ago Hertha Berlin dropped from 11th at Christmas to finish 16th!
It took Heidenheim eight attempts to win a league away game (D1, L6), finally doing so against Mainz (W 1-0) just before the winter break, so they’ll hope to avoid starting a similar run again. That was also the first time they’d opened the scoring in a Bundesliga road game this term, so doing so again could serve them well – just as it did on their last visit to Cologne in October 2018 (D 1-1).
Players to watch: Florian Kainz has netted two of his three league goals for Cologne this term at home, while his last four strikes came from the penalty spot. Tim Kleindienst is Heidenheim’s go-to man from the spot and his last three goals arrived after the 65th minute.
Hot streak: New Cologne boss Schultz has never lost a managerial H2H against Heidenheim (W4, D1).