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Bayer Leverkusen will lock horns with FC Koln at the RheinEnergieStadion on Sunday in an action-packed Bundesliga weekend.
Bayer Leverkusen have had a great season so far, as they sit in third place in the table with 16 points from eight matches played. They have won five, drawn one and lost two games.
Leverkusen are coming off a 1-1 draw against Real Betis in the UEFA Europa League. Borja Iglesias had given the hosts the lead in the 75th-minute through a penalty, but Robert Andrich scored in the 82nd minute to restore parity.
Koln, meanwhile, were handed a 5-0 loss in their most recent league game by Hoffenheim. Steffen Baumgart's side will be looking to put their embarrassing defeat behind them and should be proud of the way they have started the season.
Koln sit in the eighth spot with 12 points from eight matches.
FC Koln vs Bayer Leverkusen Head-to-Head
FC Koln and Bayer Leverkusen have played 29 matches so far, with the latter winning 18 of those encounters. Koln have won five games, while six matches have ended in draws.
The last meeting between the two sides ended in a 3-0 win for Bayer Leverkusen.
FC Koln Bundesliga form: D-D-D-W-L
Bayer Leverkusen form (all competitions): W-W-W-L-D
FC Koln vs Bayer Leverkusen Team News
FC Koln
Ellyes Skhiri is out with a fractured leg, while Sebastian Andersson has been sidelined with an illness. Jannes Horn and Kingsley Ehizibue are listed as doubts due to groin and hip injuries, respectively.
Injured: Ellyes Skhiri, Sebastian Andersson
Doubtful: Jannes Horn, Kingsley Ehizibue
Suspended: None
Bayer Leverkusen
Timothy Fosu-Mensah and Julian Baumgartlinger are out with long-term knee injuries. Charles Aranguiz has been ruled out with a calf problem.
Injured: Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Julian Baumgartlinger, Charles Aranguiz
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
FC Koln vs Bayer Leverkusen Predicted XI
FC Koln Predicted XI (4-4-2): Tim Horn; Jonas Hector, Rafael Czichos, Jorge Mere, Benno Schmitz; Dejan Ljubicic, Florian Kainz, Ondrej Duda, Mark Uth; Thielmann, Anthony Modeste
Bayer Leverkusen Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Lukas Hradecky; Jeremie Frimpong, Odilon Kossounou, Jonathan Tah, Piero Hincapie; Exequiel Palacios, Kerem Demirbay; Karim Bellarabi, Florian Wirtz, Moussa Diaby; Patrik Schick
FC Koln vs Bayer Leverkusen Prediction
Fans could be treated to a high-scoring affair on Sunday, as both sides possess a leaky defense. Leverkusen have been the superior team in the league so far in comparison to FC Koln and should be able to add three points to their tally at the weekend.
We foresee Bayer Leverkusen beating FC Koln by a comfortable margin.
Prediction: FC Koln 1-3 Bayer Leverkusen
