Koln Seeks First Home Win in New Bundesliga Season
Published August 25, 2017 by Florin P
Hamburg travels to Cologne to face local rivals after winning the opening match against Augsburg (7:30 p.m UK Time).
Koln have finished comfortably in the first half of the standings in the last couple of years. They are very likely to achieve a similar result in 2018, despite the increasingly tough competition. What the team needs is to start the season on the right foot and win the first match played at home. Hamburg avoided relegation once again in dramatic fashion, but they will have an even harder time remaining in the Bundesliga.
Strong Home Pitch Record for Koln
The defensive starting formation used by Koln delivered the expected results against some of the strongest teams in the German first division. The home side won the vast majority of the points in front of its fans and was particularly effective against worse placed squads. This is precisely the kind of confrontation that the fans are hoping for, against a team that has a hard time scoring on the road.
Koln has the advantage in the head to head matches, losing only a handful of games but finishing a bit too many undecided. Against Hamburg, they will aim for victory, as the team simply can’t afford to split points so early in the season. Only two strikers will be used up front, but the hosts have a pair of midfielders capable of supporting the offensive with great effectiveness.
Positive Season Start for Hamburg
Hamburg fans are hoping that at least this season the team will avoid another heart stopping finish and earn more points in the first half. They have started the year on a positive note with a narrow margin victory over Augsburg at home. However, it was the visiting team that played better and had multiple opportunities of tying the score.
Koln is the favorite to win the match and at odds of 9/10 currently offered by bet365 Sports there is spectacular value that players shouldn’t miss. These odds are expected to drop as kickoff draws near, so if you plan on backing the home side you should do it sooner rather than later.
