It may be the season of goodwill, but do not expect 1. FC Köln and Borussia Dortmund to do each other any favours on Matchday 17.
bundesliga.com outlines the juiciest subplots to Saturday's clash at the RheinEnergieStadion.
Going out in style
A party atmosphere is guaranteed inside Köln's humble abode on this the Billy Goats' final outing on home soil of the calendar year. Home to seven Christmas markets and one of the most colourful Karneval celebrations in Germany, the city of Cologne certainly appreciates a good knees-up and will need no invitation to continue the festivities long into Saturday night, if Peter Stöger and the gang can get one over on BVB.
Match stats and teams ahead of Dortmund's trip to Cologne.
Title ambition
Looking to take the party back to the Ruhr, Dortmund are in far better shape than Köln. While the Billy Goats are winless in their last four, BVB have won their last three on the spin and travel to Cologne trailing league leaders FC Bayern München by just five points. They are also the current campaign's joint-best performers on the road (W5, D1, L2).
Best boots in the business
Dortmund's tilt at domestic honours has, in part, been fuelled by the goals of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Gabon international, currently top of the leading Bundesliga scorers' charts on 18 goals, has already surpassed his previous personal best and is also setting quite the pace in the race for the European Golden Shoe with 26 goals in 25 appearances in all competitions this term.
Click here for our micro-site dedicated to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Barren spell
Anthony Modeste would certainly benefit from a dose of Aubameyang's special brew. The Frenchman kicked off his debut campaign in a Köln shirt with six goals in his first eight matches, but has not scored since. Of the games in which he scored, Köln won four and drew two. They have only won once this term when he has failed to find the net.
Follow the link for a pictorial look at the current Bundesliga campaign's top goalscorers.
Attack vs defence
Thomas Tuchel's record as Dortmund head coach speaks for itself - he made a club record five-match winning start to the season - but his results have been mixed in seven previous meetings with Köln (W3, D1, L3). Granted, they were all whilst in charge of 1. FSV Mainz 05, but he will not need reminding that the Billy Goats have no qualms about parking the bus: a tactic that has proved BVB's undoing before.
