Cologne v Fortuna Dusseldorf Predictions & Tips

• Fortuna Dusseldorf have won only two of their 13 away matches in this season’s Bundesliga.
• Cologne have lost only three of their previous 12 league assignments.
• Six of Cologne’s ten league wins this campaign have been to nil.

Fortuna lament missed opportunity

Fortuna Dusseldorf missed a golden opportunity to pull away from the Bundesliga drop zone when they drew 0-0 with basement boys Paderborn at the Esprit Arena last time out.

Hosts Dusseldorf won the shot count 12-5 on that occasion but directed only one of their efforts on target and their lack of firepower in the final third once again cost them maximum points.

Since losing forwards Benito Raman and Dodi Lukebakio last summer, they have looked feeble in the final third and no Bundesliga club has scored fewer goals than Dusseldorf (27) this season.

Their next test is a visit to rivals Cologne for a Rheinland derby-clash and it is difficult to predict the visitors coming away with anything.

Cologne improving as season progresses

Cologne will be frustrated to have not come away with victory from their match with Mainz last time out – they had led 2-0 and won the shot count 11-6 but drew the match 2-2.

They have nonetheless been on a good run of form in the second half of the Bundesliga campaign, winning eight of their last 12 fixtures since mid-December.

Their only defeats during that run came against top-four sides Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich and Borussia Monchengladbach and, prior to last weekend, they had won three of their last five home encounters to nil.

They have beaten strong sides Bayer Leverkusen, Freiburg, Hertha Berlin and Schalke by an aggregate scoreline of 14-0 as part of their recent turnaround in form and Dusseldorf are a cut below those opponents.

Dusseldorf’s lack of firepower sets them up for defeat

Dusseldorf couldn’t even see off fourth-tier Saarbrücken in their last away contest in the DFB-Pokal in early March and netted a paltry 14 goals in their 13 league matches on the road this campaign. 

Beyond 11-goal striker Rouwen Hennings they have struggled with their next highest scorer midfielder Erik Thommy who has only scored twice in all competitions.

Their shot-shy nature coupled with Cologne’s 2020 resurgence points to the Billy Goats winning to nil and a 3-0 success, a scoreline Dusseldorf have lost by on three occasions this term, could by the best bet when opting for a correct score prediction.