Bochum vs. Cologne: probable line-ups, match stats and LIVE blog!

Latest

Bochum gained immediate revenge for a 1-0 defeat to Mainz in the Bundesliga last weekend by beating the 05ers 3-1 in the DFB Cup in midweek to reach the quarter-finals. Coach Thomas Reis made five changes to the side which had lost to the same team just three days earlier, and a few of the new entries may well find that they did enough to hold down a place in the starting XI on Saturday evening. Jürgen Locadia may be one of those after making an impressive debut in midweek, though Sebastian Polter should return, while there is likely to be a starting berth for Asano, who was afforded a rest on Tuesday night. Gerrit Holtmann may also have done enough in the cup tie to earn the nod over Christopher Antwi-Adjei.

Cologne suffered a 4-0 defeat to Bayern Munich with coach Steffen Baumgart naming an unchanged team from the one which had started 2022 with a 3-1 win at Hertha Berlin, and now he will have to decide whether to stick or twist for the trip to Bochum. He dealt a different hand as the Billy Goats were knocked out of the DFB Cup on penalties by Hamburg in midweek and is likely to revert to his tried and tested league XI, which would mean a return for Modeste to lead the attack with Mark Uth. Salih Özcan, Benno Schmitz and Ondrej Duda should also all come back in after starting on the bench on Tuesday night, as Baumgart seeks an immediate return to winning ways in the Bundesliga.

Match stats

With seven goals this season, including three in the Bundesliga, Milos Pantovic is enjoying his most prolific campaign to date.

Elvis Rexhbecaj is yet to score or assist for Bochum. He produced seven of each across 46 competitive games for Cologne.

Bochum are winless in three successive home games for the first time this Bundesliga season.

Ten of Modeste's 12 Bundesliga goals this season have been headers - the most across Europe's top five leagues. Five have fallen on the road.

Cologne are unbeaten in their previous five Bundesliga meetings with Bochum, winning three.

The Billy Goats have been beaten just three times (W2, D4), but are yet to keep a clean sheet away from home in 2021/22

Probable line-ups

Bochum: Riemann - Stafylidis, Bella-Kotchap, Leitsch, Soares - Pantovic, Losilla (c), Rexhbecaj - Asano, Polter, Holtmann

Out: Grave (shoulder), Zoller (knee)

Doubtful: Blum (muscular)

Coach: Thomas Reis

Cologne: Schwäbe - Schmitz, Kilian, Hübers, Hector (c) - Özcan - Schaub, Duda, Kainz - Modeste, Uth

Out: Köbbing (knee), Skhiri (Africa Cup of Nations)

Doubtful: T. Horn (match fitness), Obuz (illness)

Coach: Steffen Baumgart