Borussia Dortmund takes on Cologne as clash with Bayern looms

• Borussia Dortmund takes on Cologne as clash with Bayern looms.
• They face Bayern Munich in the “Klassiker” match with a title at stake.
• Dortmund has had its fair share of problems in recent years.

Borussia Dortmund will want to keep their focus on their game against Cologne on Sunday when they face Bayern Munich in the “Klassiker” match with a title at stake.

In spite of the fact that Dortmund has had its fair share of problems in recent years against better teams, their title challenges have truly failed due to poor performances against the league’s underdogs, who are outmatched but spirited.

No team more exemplifies the spirit of the underdog than Cologne, led by tenacious manager Steffen Baumgart, who is frequently seen on the sidelines in the German winter chill wearing only a flat cap and a t-shirt.

After a 2-0 defeat at Chelsea that resulted in their elimination from the Champions League, Dortmund’s blistering start to 2023 of 10 wins in 10 matches came to an end.

After that loss, we played Schalke, which was struggling, and drew 2-2. The home team scored twice, despite being outnumbered.

A re-visitation of winning ways by Dortmund on Saturday would lift them a point clear of Bayern Munich on the Bundesliga table, for something like one evening.

On Sunday, Bayern travel to Bayer Leverkusen, an unpredictable team led by Xavi Alonso.

Bayern will play Dortmund in the next match after Cologne.

One reason Dortmund have been perennial German football bridesmaids since their last title in 2012 is that they have not won a league match in Munich since the 2013-14 season, when Jurgen Klopp was still in charge.

In October, when Dortmund went to Cologne, they had a chance to win, but they lost 3-2 despite having an early lead.

When Dortmund manager Edin Terzic said on Thursday that “we have been warned enough” about Cologne, that result was on his mind. Cologne has been in bad form recently, but they know that a win against a title contender could get them back on track.

Cologne has lost three of their last four matches without scoring, raising concerns that the 12th-place team may be drawn into a relegation battle after starting 2023 with a five-match unbeaten streak that included a draw at Bayern.

Baumgart said that his team is paying the price because they partied a little too much during the famous Carnival celebrations in Cologne in February.

The manager, who joined Cologne during the Covivirus pandemic, stated on Thursday, “I don’t want to offend anyone, but I have now had my experience with the carnival.”

“That was detrimental to us.

“I will try to do things differently in the future.”

One to follow: Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich) The France international defender’s recent improvement has been mirrored by his team, which now leads the Bundesliga by two points.

After the winter break, Bayern struggled, but they have now regained their league and European dominance.

In January, when rumors circulated that the World Cup winner wanted out, Pavard faced the stands and tapped his badge after scoring his second goal in Bayern’s 5-3 victory over Augsburg, marking his first two goals in professional football.

Beginning in March, Pavard stated that Bayern “can achieve great things this season” and “I’m not leaving the ship in the middle of the journey” to confirm his commitment.

Six key statistics: Sadio Mane of Bayern Munich has had the most goals disallowed for offside this season, more than any other player in the top five European leagues.

0: Hoffenheim is last on 19 points, and they were the only team in the bottom five to lose in the previous round.

6/7: Bayern has defeated Leverkusen in six of their last seven games, including the German Cup final in 2020.

Fixtures (all times 1430 GMT unless otherwise stated)

Friday

Borussia Moenchengladbach v Werder Bremen (1930)

Saturday

Augsburg v Schalke, Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin, Stuttgart v Wolfsburg, Bochum v RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund v Cologne (1730)

Sunday

Union Berlin v Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayer Leverkusen v Bayern Munich (1630), Mainz v Freiburg (1830)

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