Köln v Borussia Dortmund Betting Tips [1 October 2022]

The German Bundesliga returns after the international break with Borussia Dortmund heading to the RheinEnergieStadion to take on Koln for matchday eight. The visitors will be hoping to move into the top position in the league standings this week as the top four teams look to take advantage of Bayern Munich’s dip in form. Dortmund currently sit second with a 5-0-2 record, putting them two points behind surprise Bundesliga leaders Union Berlin in the early days of the 2022/23 campaign. BVB is coming off a morale boosting 1-0 home win over rivals Schalke in their last match and will be looking to make it back-to-back wins here. Standing in their way is a Koln side that has continued to surprise, building off of their overachieving seventh-place finish last season which earned them a spot in the Europa Conference League. The hosts have lost only once in the league this season and sport a 2-4-1 domestic record, good for ninth in the table. 

Dortmund has fared pretty well against Koln overall and has not lost at this ground since 2015, although their last two trips to the RheinEnergieStadion ended in draws. There is evidence to suggest that this trip could end in the three points for BVB though, as Dortmund have looked strong in recent outings despite a pair of consecutive defeats at the hands of Leipzig and Manchester City. The City loss in particular could be viewed as a positive by Edin Terzic’s men although they of course would have liked to walk away with something to show from that match. Still, the Black and Yellows put forth an impressive defensive display, keeping the high-powered City attack without a shot on target until the arrival of their first goal in the 80th minute. The performance was indicative of a new sense of defensive stability under their 39-year-old manager, as Dortmund holds the second most clean sheets in the Bundesliga with four.

We’re going to back Borussia Dortmund to get the win in this one. The international break likely came at a good time for Koln who are in danger of being overloaded with a heavy fixture list this season with their participation in the Conference League. Still, the visitors should have enough to get the full three points in this one after coming off a crucial win against Schalke to steady the ship after things threatened to go sideways with back-to-back losses. Expect to see another strong performance from Dortmund here in a match that they should ultimately win 2-1.