1. FC Köln has reinvented itself under Steffen Baumgart
1. FC Köln in the opponent check
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The FC has reinvented itself under Steffen Baumgart
Leverkusen Since the 49-year-old has been on the sidelines in Cologne, the billy goats have been playing consistent pressing – and have been doing well with it so far. Above all, Bayer 04 have to watch out for the regained striker Anthony Modeste.
The team After almost relegation last year, the authorities in Cologne turned the squad completely inside out. The most prominent departures include Sebastiaan Bornauw (Wolfsburg), Ismail Jakobs (Monaco), Dominick Drexler (Schalke) and Max Meyer (Fenerbahce). The most important additions are Dejan Ljubicic (Rapid Vienna), returnee Anthony Modeste (AS St. Etienne), Mark Uth (Schalke) and Timo Hübers (Hanover) – and above all, of course, coach Steffen Baumgart, who has changed from Paderborn. As for the game against the Rhine rivals from Leverkusen, captain Jonas Hector and Ljubicic return to the Cologne squad just in time for the derby. The Tunisian national player and endurance runner Ellyes Skhiri has broken the head of the fibula and will probably be missing until November – a significant weakening. Left-back Jannes Horn, who has been injured for months at the club, is also unable to play again.
Form Baumgart took over the command of the Domstadt team in the summer is going pretty well: three wins are just as many draws and two defeats, one of them in Munich. The reward earned is seventh after eight match days. At home, the red and whites are still undefeated with ten points from four games. The 0: 5 last week at TSG Hoffenheim was the first real setback.
Bayer 04 have to pay attention to that The Cologne now press significantly higher than in the previous season, are overall more aggressive and run faster – even though they are recorded some exits with quality. They act more courageously, present themselves well in the shift game and do not deviate from the system that Baumgart gives them. Another important success factor is striker Modeste, who has been successful four times so far and at times builds on the time when he shot the club almost single-handedly in the Europa League.