RB Leipzig will be aiming to re-enter the top-four of the Bundesliga when they lock horns with Cologne at the RheinEnergieStadion on Monday evening.
The Red Bulls title charge has faltered in recent weeks following draws with both Freiburg and Hertha Berlin either side of last weekend's 5-0 mauling of Mainz.
Consequently, Julian Nagelsmann's fluent young side have given themselves work to do in what has become a fiercely competitive battle for Champions League qualification in Germany.
Both Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Monchengladbach leapfrogged Leipzig by moving into the top-four over the weekend meaning that there is no room for error for the Red Bulls in this fixture.
Cologne were in brilliant form before the Bundesliga came to a halt, however, back-to-back 2-2 draws at home to Mainz and Fortuna Dusseldorf followed by a 3-1 loss away at Hoffenheim have left the hosts floundering in mid-table.
Markus Gisdol's side's post-break struggles can be attributed to their defensive frailties with the Billy Goats backline having shipped seven goals across their last three matches.
The Betting Odds
FC Cologne are huge underdogs here at 19/4 with Ladbrokes and a share of the spoils is also deemed unlikely at 17/5 with the same firm.
RB Leipzig, despite winning only two of their last nine league matches, are red-hot favourites at a best 4/7 with Betfred.
The Betting Angles
I landed a stonking 17/10 winner during Leipzig's thumping 5-0 win away at Mainz by backing 3+ match goals, 3+ match cards & 6+ match corners and I like the look of a repeat on Monday night at 5/6 with PaddyPower.
The above-mentioned betting angle also clicked for me during Leipzig's last outing at home to Hertha Berlin and I fancy revisiting that bet here given that there have been over 2.5 goals scored in Cologne's last 11 Bundesliga matches.
What's more, the last four meetings between these two teams have featured three or more strikes and the Billy Goats last six home games in the Bundesliga have generated over 2.5 goals.
Only Bundesliga heavyweights Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund have banged in more goals than RB Leipzig this season and that does not bode well for a Cologne team who have looked shaky at the back since the Bundesliga resumed.
Furthermore, Cologne games have pushed past the 11.0 corners per game mark on average this term and I'm also happy to throw in three or more cards in what could be yet another open and entertaining battle in the Billy Goats backyard.
It's also worth noting that Cologne are the third-most ill-disciplined side in the division and they may have to revert to the dark arts if they are to tame the Red Bulls during this tussle.
With that in mind, I'm also attracted to the 6/5 (PaddyPower) on offer for Leipzig to score, Leipzig to take five or more corners and for Cologne to clock up at least two cards during this contest.
Gisdol's men conceded two goals in their last four league matches and they will be hard-tasked when trying to shutout a Leipzig side who are scoring an average of 2.5 goals per game on their travels.
Given that Cologne games have been goal, corner and card-heavy this season, coupled with the fact that Leipzig have now fallen out of the top-four, I suspect another riveting spectacle could be in store at the RheinEnergieStadion on Monday night.
This German Bundesliga match between FC Cologne and RB Leipzig will be played on Jun 1, 2020 and kick off at 19:30. Check below for our tipsters best FC Cologne vs RB Leipzig prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
