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Peter Stöger's 1. FC Köln have impressed at both ends of the pitch in 2016/17.
Peter Stöger's 1. FC Köln have impressed at both ends of the pitch in 2016/17.

Season so far: 1. FC Köln

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At the halfway point of the 2016/17 Bundesliga season, it is time for bundesliga.com to dissect the campaigns of each club so far.

Story so far

Next up, 1. FC Köln...

Fans are bullish about their team's prospects for European football next season after Köln went into the winter break in seventh place. The Billy Goats went seven matches unbeaten before falling to Hertha Berlin on Matchday 8, and held FC Bayern München and RB Leipzig to draws before the Hinrunde was up. Köln's usual formula for success under Peter Stöger - a tough defence - is still intact with just 15 goals conceded. This year, the team also boasts a serious cutting edge courtesy of a red-hot striker.

Watch: Marcel Risse scored one of the goals of the season as Köln snatched the Rhine derby spoils against Gladbach:

Star player:Anthony Modeste

Modeste came out of the gate on a mission this season, scoring 11 goals in his first nine games, and leading the scoring charts in Europe's top five leagues into November. His acrobatic goal in Munich against Bayern showed he could score a top-shelf goal against a top-shelf side, and underlined his importance to his club. Köln have scored 21 goals, and Modeste has scored 13 of them.

Click here to vote Modeste into your Team of the Hinrunde!

Watch: The first 11 of Modeste's 13 goals this term, scored in only nine games!:

Honourable mention:Jonas Hector

Not every team has a full-back who can dictate play at both ends. When you see one in action like Hector for Köln, you wish your team had one. The 26-year old Germany international's intelligent positional play, accurate passing and ability to organise his teammates make him a vital contributor. The Billy-Goats fought off interest from a number of leading European clubs this summer to retain Hector, who enjoyed a fine personal UEFA EURO 2016 campaign and scored a memorable penalty in Germany’s quarter-final shoot-out success against Italy in Bordeaux.