Strong-at-home BVB versus a Köln side reinvigorated on the road

The scenario: Runners-up against 11th place from last season. The clashes between BVB and Köln were the third highest-scoring of last season. There were 12 goals in total: five in the reverse fixture in Cologne (3-2), seven in the return match in Dortmund (6-1). Both matches were won by the hosts.

Göz Atın

Only Brandt nets for BVB in 1-1 draw with FSV

“The unsatisfying end to an unsatisfactory first half of the season”

Two completely different halves

Home/away: Borussia Dortmund ended a Bundesliga season with the best home record for the fifth time in 2022/23 and were almost unbeatable at home in 2023. BVB had won 11 home games in succession prior to the 2-2 draw with Mainz on Matchday 34, nine of which came after the winter break. Overall, Borussia are unbeaten at home in the Bundesliga in 15 matches (13 wins, two draws). The Billy Goats were a dangerous opponent away from home too towards the end of the season, taking a tidy 10 points from their last four away games. The last away defeat to date was by a 6-1 scoreline in Dortmund on Matchday 25.

Head-to-head record: After an historic home run (20 games without defeat; 16 wins and four draws) against the same club, BVB suffered a 2-1 defeat in the 2020/21 season against 1. FC Köln, who have won only seven of their 47 away games against BVB overall (15%). That win percentage is higher even in away games against Bayern (18%).

Statistics: The goalscoring charts and the scorer point ranking were dominated by Dortmund players in the second half of last season. No player in the division scored more goals than Donyell Malen and Sébastien Haller; however, Frankfurt’s Randal Kolo Muani and Bremen’s Marvin Ducksch also notched nine goals. In terms of scorer points, there were five BVB players in the top nine. Borussia Dortmund scored by far the most goals in the second half of the season (52). Meanwhile, forceful and successful wing play is a Köln trademark. Since Steffen Baumgart took over the reins at the club in the summer of 2021, no other Bundesliga club has scored as many goals from crosses in open play as 1. FC Köln (32, 17 of which came last season). New winter signing Davie Selke scored four of his five goals for Köln last season from crosses.

The biggest home wins: On 15 October 1966, there was a 6-1 victory at the Rote Erde thanks to goals from Lothar Emmerich (3), Reinhold Wosab (2) and Siegfried Held. The meeting on 18 March 2023 ended in the same scoreline. Raphael Guerreiro, Sébastien Haller, Marco Reus and Donyell Malen scored four goals between the 15th and 36th minutes of the match at a sold-out SIGNAL IDUNA PARK, with Reus and Haller completing their braces after the interval. The goal that was conceded was scored by Davie Selke.
Compiled by Boris Rupert