The scenario: The U23s travelled to Cologne full of confidence. The team pulled off a coup last week by beating league leaders Elversberg by a 2-0 scoreline and reached the 40-point mark in the process. Now, the U23s had the chance to mathematically seal their survival in Cologne. To do so, they needed to return home from the game with a victory and hope Oldenburg (1-0 loss against Saarbrücken) and Bayreuth (5-2 defeat in Elversberg) did not win. Before the game, Viktoria were six places above the Black & Yellows in eighth position (51 points). The U23s lost the reverse fixture 2-0. And the head-to-head record certainly did not favour BVB, who had only emerged victorious on two occasions in their 11 competitive meetings with Viktoria Cologne since 2015 in the Regionalliga West and the 3. Liga (three draws, six defeats).

#FCABMG: Match reaction Following the Foals’ 4-4 draw at FC Ausgburg, we have the reactions of...

FCA head coach Enrico Maaßen made five changes to the side following the 2-0 DFB-Pokal defeat to SpVgg Unterhaching, with Mergim Berisha, Mads Pedersen, Elvis Rexhbecaj, Maximilian Bauer and Felix Uduokhai all coming back into the starting eleven. Alongside the suspended Patric Pfeiffer and Robert Gumny, Irvin Cardona (back problems) and Arne Maier (illness) also missed the game.

“There are exceptional players, not only at FC Bayern. (Randal) Kolo Muani, (Daichi) Kamada, (Christopher) Nkunku, to name a few,” Mané said (via @iMiaSanMia). “Fantastic individual players. I’ve already known my teammates before, they have big quality. I see it in every training session.”

Grischa, a quick lookback at the 4-1 away victory over VfB Lübeck in the DFB-Pokal: what lessons have you learned from that triumph over a very aggressive opponent?

Take a look at the best photos from RB Leipzig’s Bundesliga meeting with Bayer Leverkusen

The 2G rule (vaccinated, recovered) applies. This does not apply to children up to and including the age of 11, who are automatically considered to be immunised. The 2G rule means that the distance rules and the mask requirement no longer apply in the stadium.

1. FC Heidenheim step out at the Volkswagen Arena on Saturday (kick-off 15:30 CEST) for their first ever outing in the Bundesliga, but VfL Wolfsburg are actually their most-played opponents in another competition. FCH have faced VfL more times than any other club in the DFB Cup, with the two sides meeting three times – in the first round in 2008/09 and in the second round in the 2014/15 and 2016/17 seasons. The Green-and-Whites came out on top each time, and in most of the seasons when they’ve come up against Heidenheim, they’ve ended it with a trophy.

Fernandes has worn the United armband in the absence of club captain Harry Maguire from the first XI.

Fabrice Lion was born in Huy, Belgium, in 1975. Today, he lives in Visé, a small...