1. FC Köln welcome SC Paderborn to the RheinEnergieSTADION on Friday evening. FC are keen to make it back-to-back wins at home after the disappointing defeat to Darmstadt last weekend.
Form check
1. FC Köln: After the 5:1 loss to Darmstadt last Friday, Gerhard Struber wants to see a reaction from his side. After an intense week of training and the impending return of Dejan Ljubicic, the Austrian head coach is confident of his side showing another side in Müngersdorf. They are hoping to build upon the win against SSV Ulm and make it two home wins on the bounce.
SC Paderborn: SCP fell to their first defeat of the season on Saturday evening against Kaiserslautern. Another away game against another traditional club presents the opportunity to bounce back before the rest of the top half are in action. Despite their strong start to the season, Paderborn are winless away from home since the opening day of the campaign.
The managers have had their say
Gerhard Struber: “Paderborn are a team with continuity. You can see the coach’s impact over a longer time span. They are variable when it comes to going forward and we have to be stable in all phases of play, in order to win the ball back and show our strengths going forward. We have to be robust and find a good balance. We want to bring a positive energy onto the pitch.”
Lukas Kwasniok: “We have had a few great away games in front of a packed crowd so far, but 1. FC Köln is the biggest of them all. It is, without doubt, the best team in the league in terms of individual quality. In home games, they’ve started really well and almost run over teams. I have a lot of respect for how they play. Obviously, they’d like to have a couple of points more but we’re the same. I think Friday has the potential to be spectacular because two teams ready to give it all face one another. Both cover a lot of ground, are very intense and quick. Both sides have a good spirit and players who are good on the ball.”
Fitness update
1. FC Köln: Dejan Ljubicic is fit and ready for the game on Friday. Mark Uth is likely to feature for the under-21s against MSV Duisburg to ensure he gets the necessary game-time before his return. Luca Kilian is continuing his rehab work from his knee injury.
SC Paderborn: Laurin Curda will miss Friday’s fixture after picking up a second yellow card in the defeat to Kaiserslautern. Kwasniok also announced that Markus Schubert will start ahead of Pelle Boevnik in goal. Aaron Zehnter will return to the team on Friday evening after missing last weekend’s game.
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