Union Berlin and Cologne set for huge relegation six-pointer on Matchday 32
Defeats for both Union Berlin and Cologne on Matchday 31 have left both sides looking over their shoulders as we enter the final three games of the campaign. However, with the potential to secure outright survival up for grabs when they meet on Matchday 32, both teams will be right up for a huge relegation six-pointer on Saturday…
After a strong start to the campaign, Cologne’s form plummeted, with the Billy Goats taking just two wins in 18 games between Matchdays 10 and 27. Left with no choice but to make changes, in came René Wagner, who took the reins from Lukas Kwasniok.
Since then, stability had been the name of the game for the Cathedral City club, as Wagner has helped steer a now-buoyant Cologne ship to a run of five league games unbeaten (1W, 4D), granted Kwasniok was still in charge for the first two matches of that streak.
However, the Billy Goats’ 2-1 Rhine derby defeat at home to local rivals Bayer Leverkusen last time out handed Cologne’s interim head coach his first loss since assuming the position, leaving his side just five points clear of St. Pauli in the relegation play-off spot – albeit with a significantly stronger goal difference of -8 to Pauli’s -27.
Watch: Cologne 1-2 Leverkusen - highlights
What may be cause for conern, though, is the fact that Cologne have the longest active streak without an away win in the Bundelsiga. The Billy Goats have gone 11 away matches without a victory. However, comfort can be taken from the knowledge that they did pick up a point in each of their last three away games, and all from losing posititons (1-1 in Hamburg, 2-2 against Eintracht Frankfurt, and 1-1 at St. Pauli).
Nevertheless, their latest Rhine derby disappointment was symptomatic of a problem that has persisted all season at Cologne. Once again, they delivered an impressive performance - registering 24 shots on goal to Leverkusen's 9 - but their display fell short in securing the all-important three points.
“We now need to come out of this match and take a lot of courage into the next three games,” iterated Wagner, aware of the underlying threat of relegation.
Should his side show the necessary courage, however, Cologne can mathematically guarantee their safety if they beat Union, and both Pauli and Wolfsburg fail to win.
Standing in Cologne's way, though, is an Union side, who will know that they can also secure their own survival if they beat Cologne and Pauli fail to beat Mainz.
Now, although Union are winless in their last five games - taking just point in that period - Die Eisernen have reason to be confident of a change of fortune under new head coach Marie-Louise Eta as they welcome Cologne to the Alte Försterei.
After all, although Eta has lost her first two games in charge - like her predecessor Steffen Baumgart - no Union head coach has ever lost their first three Bundesliga games in charge. Changes will have to be made after a convincing defeat at the hands of RB Leipzig last time out, though.
Watch: Leipzig 3-1 Union - highlights
As was the case after the unfortunate defeat to Wolfsburg in her first game in charge - in which Union registered a club record 27 shots on goal but ultimately found themselves on the receiving end of a 2-1 defeat - Eta put a positive spin on the negative result in her post-match assessment.
“I thought that, overall, we were compact in the first half and simply could have made more of our possession," she said, adding: "We had our moments today as well - we could have scored the equaliser before the break, for example, and we also had some attacking spells after the restart. In the end, it’s a deserved defeat, but once again we can take some positives from it.”
Watch: Marie-Louise Eta settling in at Union Berlin
Union are certainly a more motivated attacking force under Eta than they were under her predecessor, which won't excite those in the Cologne camp given that across their aforementioned 11 winless away matches, the Billy Goats have led only once, and for just 91 seconds in their 2-1 defeat in Freiburg on Matchday 19.
History is also on Die Eisernen's side, given that in 11 previous top-flight meetings between these sides, Union have claimed eight wins - including a narrow 1-0 victory in the Cathedral City in their previous meeting back on Matchday 15 - two draws, and just one defeat. TIn fact, the Köpenickers have a better record against Cologne than against any other current Bundelsiga outfit.
Regardless, in these sorts of must-win games where history can be written for both sides, the old chapters tend to get put to one side once the action starts, so expect fireworks when these sides battle it out for their Bundesliga survival on Matchday 32.
Find out who needs what on Matchday 32 here!
