Bochum vs. Cologne: probable teams, match facts and LIVE blog!

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Bochum have lost all six of their Bundesliga fixtures so far this season. The 3-1 defeat to local rivals Schalke spelled the end for head coach Thomas Reis, who was relieved of his duties little over 12 months after steering the Ruhr club back into the Bundesliga for the first time in 11 years. As the search for a long-term successor gathers pace, U19s coach Heiko Butscher has been placed in temporary charge of first-team affairs. "I will try to create a good atmosphere within the team, and I hope the fans will get on board," he told the club website this week. Butscher's best intentions have been rocked by news that Takuma Asano faces a spell on the sidelines with a knee ligament injury. Gerrit Holtmann - Bochum's second best for goals last season - is set to be recalled in the Japanese attacker's stead. Following Sebastian Polter's summer move to Schalke, Zoller has taken on the role of top scorer, albeit with just the two goals so far - both in the Matchday 2 loss to Hoffenheim.

Cologne are hot favourites to inflict further misery on Bochum. Until last weekend's 1-0 home loss to leaders Union Berlin, the Billy Goats were unbeaten in the league despite competing in three competitions this season. Steffen Baumgart's team have accumulated nine points in the Bundesliga, whilst picking up four points from their opening two UEFA Europa Conference League fixtures. The Cologne strategist handed starts to central defender Nikola Soldo, full-back Kingsley Schindler, midfielder Ondrej Duda and forward Sargis Adamyan in Thursday's 4-2 win over Czech Republic outfit Slovacko, but is expected to revert to his strongest possible XI in Bochum. Soldo will retain his place in the back four, though, given a lack of central defensive options after Luca Killian's red card against Union. Either Florian Dietz - a favoured starter of late - or ex-Borussia Dortmund youngster Steffen Tigges will lead the line. Attacker Mark Uth is still unavailable through injury.

Match stats

Zoller has scored half of Bochum's goals in the Bundesliga this season.

VfL have conceded a league-high 18 goals, scored a league-low four and are the worst finishers (-3.8 for Expected Goals).

Bochum are the third team in Bundesliga history to start a season with six straight losses, after Fortuna Dusseldorf - relegated at the end of 1991/92 - and Mainz, who lived to fight another top-flight day in 2021/22.

Florian Kainz has made a team-leading contribution of two goals and four assists in this season's Bundesliga.

Cologne have not lost to a bottom-placed Bundesliga team for 11 years (5-1 vs. Borussia Mönchengladbach).

The Billy Goats have a better head-to-head record against Bochum than any team they've faced (W33, D16, L11). They haven't lost to them since 18 April 2004.

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Probable teams

Bochum: Riemann - Gamboa, Masovic, Lampropoulos, Soares - Stöger, Losilla (c), Förster - Zoller, Hofmann, Holtmann

Out: Asano (knee), Goralski (muscular), Grave (shoulder), Heintz (muscular), Stafylidis (muscular)

Doubtful: Mousset (muscular)

Coach: Heiko Butscher

Cologne: Schwäbe - Schmitz, Soldo, Hübers, Hector (c) - Martel, Skhiri - Thielmann, Ljubicic, Kainz - Tigges

Out: Andersson (knee), Chabot (ankle), Kilian (suspended), Limnios (knee), Olesen (ankle), Uth (pubic bone)

Doubtful: -

Coach: Steffen Baumgart

About the clubs VfL Bochum 1848

Vonovia Ruhrstadion

1. FC Köln

RheinEnergieSTADION

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