Stuttgart vs FC Koln Prediction & Tips
With only the final matchday of the 2021/22 Bundesliga season left to play, sixteenth-placed Stuttgart have a chance to avoid the relegation playoffs thanks to a valuable point earned against champions Bayern Munich last weekend. Sitting three points behind Hertha Berlin but with a far superior goal difference, “Die Roten” will need to break a six-game winless streak (E4, P2) and hope Hertha lose a tricky final game at home to Dortmund to ensure they avoid their third relegation in five top flight seasons.
Stuttgart will probably be grateful that this important match is at home after recording their two wins in 2022 at the Mercedes-Benz Arena amid a run of just one defeat at this stadium in their last five league matches (G2, E2). However, their failure to keep a clean sheet in any home game this season is their biggest concern, given their abysmal home record against fellow strugglers Cologne, whom they have defeated in just one of their last 13 Bundesliga meetings at this venue (E5, P7).
Pellegrino Matarazzo’s side could do well to look to Cologne, who are a test of how quickly things can change after they escaped relegation last season only thanks to winning their relegation play-off. However, in an extreme turnaround in form, the visitors have already secured their presence in the upcoming Europa Conference League next season, and a win in this clash could see them qualify for the Europa League, although it depends on other results for that to happen.
A 1-0 loss to Wolfsburg last time out left the Billy Goats’ best winning streak of the campaign at four, and they scored at least three goals in each of those games. Getting back to that great offensive output would surely give Stuttgart’s defense, which has conceded an average of 1.94 goals per game at home this campaign and has not kept a clean sheet against Cologne in its last 11 matches at this venue, a problem.
Players to watch: Since the start of 2020/21, Stuttgart striker Saša Kalajdžić has scored nine league goals thanks to assists from Borna Sosa, a record second only to Bayern’s duo of Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Müller (14). Meanwhile, Cologne striker Anthony Modeste has scored four goals in his last five Bundesliga games to take his tally to 19 for the campaign, with an impressive 47% of those goals coming from headers.
Key stat: All of Cologne’s matches in this Bundesliga season have ended with at least one goal.
Stuttgart – FC Koln FREE TIPS
Stuttgart – Win @ 1.65
