Round number 31 for the German Bundesliga. Today, Friday, Cologne are hosting Bochum in a game that is very important for both clubs. Bochum are only one point away from the relegation zone, while Koln are safer with 6 points difference!

This is an extremely important match for both teams. The hosts are in 13th place, 6 points ahead of the visitors, who are in 15th, and 7 points ahead of the danger zone. So it’s a mathematical fact that if Koln win here, they will secure their place in the Bundesliga for next season no matter what happens in the last 3 games. Of course the possibility of a team currently within the danger zone ever reaching 34 (let alone more than 34) points by the end of the season is quite remote. Most of those teams have to face top teams in the following weeks, so in my opinion Koln don’t have anything to worry about.

Bochum, on the other hand, have only collected 1 point from their last 6 games and they are just 1 point over the danger zone. After this match they face Stuttgart and Bayern so their only chance is to win this match and hope that in the final matchday against Hannover they will still have a chance to avoid relegation.


Koln will play in 4-5-1 formation which is more offensive than it looks, with Novakovic in front and Tosic-Podolski-Freis all together in midfield and Bochum will present their usual 4-4-2. Koln have had terrible results at home but I don’t think they’ll lose this one.

Betting suggestion: Home win or draw double chance, or under 2.5 goals (at 1.33 and 1.75 respectively)