Preview: FC Koln vs. Freiburg - prediction, team news, lineups

Koln, meanwhile, essentially secured their safety in Germany's top flight for another season by beating Hoffenheim 3-1 last time out.

Match preview

Indeed, after failing to score in five of six winless matches between mid-February and early April - with the one exception being when David Selke scored a consolation goal in Koln's 6-1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund - Steffen Baumgart's side have claimed seven points from their last three league games to put any lingering relegation fears to bed.

Successive 3-1 victories on the road have surprised many considering that Koln had only won one of their 13 away trips all season in the Bundesliga prior to facing Augsburg earlier this month, but the Billy Goats have found their goalscoring groove at an excellent moment in the campaign.

There would have been trepidation when heading to Hoffenheim last weekend, with Koln's opponents massively improving in recent times themselves, having collected 10 points from their previous four games. However, Florian Kainz's dispatched penalty and Selke's strike provided the visitors with a healthy two-goal cushion at half time, before Jan Thielmann and Kasper Dolberg exchanged strikes during second half injury-time.

With a second successive top-half finish almost certainly out of reach for Baumgart and his players, the club can now begin to build for next season, as they look to bounce back in August and push for a European qualification spot once again.

Freiburg, of course, are aiming to upgrade from the Europa League to the Champions League by holding off the looming threat of RB Leipzig behind them in fifth place between now and the end of the season.

Christian Streich's side moved back into fourth spot courtesy of a thumping 4-0 victory against relegation-threatened Schalke 04 last weekend, with an early brace from Michael Gregoritsch backed up by goals from Lucas Holer and Matthias Ginter during a comfortable second half for the hosts.

Only three points and one position separated Freiburg and Koln in the Bundesliga table last season, but they have clearly moved on different trajectories this time around.

Indeed, should Breisgau-Brasilianer come away from Cologne with all three points on Saturday, Streich's side will already have bettered their points tally from last season with four matches to spare.

Ultimately, though, the 57-year-old's primary objective will be helping Freiburg secure Champions League football for the first time in the club's history, while also hoping to avenge their DFB-Pokal final defeat to Leipzig last May by beating Marco Rose's side in their upcoming semi-final meeting at Europa-Park Stadion in midweek.

FC Koln Bundesliga form:

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Freiburg Bundesliga form:

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Freiburg form (all competitions):

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Team News

Koln will remain without forwards Sebastian Andersson, Mark Uth and Florian Dietz due to long-term injuries, with the trio unlikely to be rushed back between now and the end of the season, particularly given that their side has little to play for in terms of their league position.

After securing a vital victory away to Hoffenheim last time out, Baumgart is unlikely to make any alterations to his starting XI, meaning that Selke is set to lead the line once more at the expense of Steffen Tigges.

Freiburg, meanwhile, will travel without Manuel Gulde and Daniel-Kofi Kyereh, while Ritsu Doan is a major doubt after being struck down by a fever within the past few days.

As such, Roland Sallai and Maximilian Eggestein may both return to the visitors' starting XI after missing out through suspension against Schalke last time out, with Doan and Yannik Keitel making way for the duo.

FC Koln possible starting lineup:

Schwabe; Schmitz, Hubers, Chabot, Hector; Skhiri, Martel; Maina, Kainz, Ljubicic; Selke

Freiburg possible starting lineup:

Flekken; Kubler, Ginter, Lienhart, Gunter; Eggestein, Hofler; Sallai, Grifo; Gregoritsch, Holer

We say: FC Koln 1-3 Freiburg

After opening up a 10-point gap ahead of the relegation places by beating Hoffenheim last time out, Koln can play with a little more freedom during the closing weeks of the campaign, and we expect their matches to be entertaining as a result.

For Freiburg, this is a pivotal week as they look to strengthen their position within the top four and reach a second successive DFB-Pokal final, and we believe that Streich's side will earn another vital victory on Saturday.

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