FC Koln vs Union Berlin - prediction, team news, lineups

FC Koln invited Union Berlin to the RheinEnergieSTADION connected Tuesday evening for a DFB-Pokal second-round tie, with some sides looking to unafraid a spot successful the past 16.

Tuesday's knockout brushwood is the archetypal of 2 meetings betwixt these sides successful the abstraction of 5 days, with the teams owed to conscionable again successful the Bundesliga successful Berlin adjacent Sunday, and Rene Wagner's broadside volition beryllium looking to marque location vantage number aft being held to a goalless gully by Schalke connected Saturday, portion the visitors get pursuing a 1-1 gully distant to Augsburg.

Match preview

Koln volition beryllium frustrated by their inability to crook possession and attacking unit into goals against Schalke, with Isak Johannesson having an effort ruled retired for offside, portion Said El Mala was incapable to person different accidental during a archetypal fractional successful which the hosts struggled to find the indispensable precision.

The effect means the hosts person won conscionable 1 of their past six league matches, losing 3 and drafting two, and are present winless successful their past 2 outings (D1, L1), leaving Wagner needing a much decisive show successful a contention wherever 1 mediocre spell tin bring a team's run to an end.

The Billy Goats volition person the vantage of playing astatine home, wherever their supporters tin assistance make the strength needed to unsettle Union's defence, and they are unbeaten astatine the RheinEnergieSTADION this season, having recorded 2 wins and 2 draws.

Koln reached this signifier by beating lower-division broadside Wurzburger Kickers 2-1 successful the erstwhile round, coming from down aft conceding successful the archetypal fractional earlier Johannesson's brace aft the interruption turned the necktie around.

They reached the quarter-finals of this contention successful 2024-25, their champion tally since the 2009-10 campaign, erstwhile they besides reached the past eight, and Wagner's broadside volition present anticipation to marque different propulsion towards the second stages.

Union volition beryllium determined to spoil those ambitions arsenic they look to lucifer their last-16 quality from past season, with caller results suggesting that they are becoming progressively hard to beat.

Mauro Lustrinelli’s broadside held Borussia Dortmund to a goalless gully earlier sharing the points with Augsburg, contempt Felix Uduokhai's reddish paper forcing them to reorganise early, and they remained competitory earlier responding to Han-Noah Massengo's opener.

Janik Haberer scored Union's equaliser successful the 74th minute, rewarding a determined betterment aft the dismissal and securing back-to-back draws pursuing a 1-0 triumph implicit Elversberg, leaving them unbeaten successful 3 consecutive matches (W1, D2).

The past gathering betwixt these clubs ended 2-2 astatine the Stadion An der Alten Forsterei successful May, and Union are unbeaten successful their past 2 encounters with Koln, having won 1-0 astatine this crushed successful the gathering earlier that draw.

The Iron Ones person besides enjoyed caller trips to this stadium, winning 2 of their past 3 visits, portion they person mislaid conscionable 1 of their past 7 matches against Koln, signaling 4 wins and 2 draws successful that sequence.

FC Koln DFB-Pokal form:

FC Koln signifier (all competitions):

Union Berlin DFB-Pokal form:

Union Berlin signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Koln stay without Timo Hubers, Thijs Dallinga, Ellyes Skhiri and Rav van den Berg, who are each recovering from injuries.

Dallinga faces a lengthy lack aft suffering a cruciate ligament injury, portion Hubers has been recovering from a genu occupation and Skhiri is dealing with an ankle wounded that is expected to support him retired for an extended period.

Ragnar Ache has resumed partial grooming pursuing a musculus wounded and could beryllium considered if helium makes capable advancement earlier kick-off, portion Alessio Castro-Montes has besides been managing a musculus problem.

Union person Stanley Nsoki, Josip Juranovic and Andrej Ilic unavailable done injury, though their conditions are expected to beryllium reassessed earlier the cupful tie.

Uduokhai was sent disconnected against Augsburg and is acceptable to miss Tuesday's cupful lucifer arsenic a effect of that dismissal.

FC Koln imaginable starting lineup:

Schwabe; Sebulonsen, Simpson-Pusey, Lochoshvili, Sosa; Kraub, Johannesson; Maina, Moore, El Mala; Bulter

Union Berlin imaginable starting lineup:

Ronnow; Haberer, van den Bosch, Querfeld, Rothe; Aebischer, Khedira, Schafer; Jeong, Skarke, Burcu

We say: FC Koln 0-1 Union Berlin

Koln person location advantage, but Union's caller signifier and beardown grounds astatine this crushed suggest that the visitors tin borderline a intimately contested necktie and beforehand to the adjacent round.

The hosts whitethorn make capable opportunities to threaten, but Union's caller antiaircraft performances bespeak that they tin support Koln astatine bay and find a mode to unafraid victory.
 

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.