FC Cologne before Wolfsburg duel: Kwasniok demands consistency and courage!

FC Cologne before Wolfsburg duel: Kwasniok demands consistency and courage!

1. FC Köln will take part in an important Bundesliga game against VfL Wolfsburg at the weekend with a lot of momentum. FC has started a brilliant season and is in third place in the table with a total of six points after two wins. Coach Lukas Kwasniok is confident but also realistic when it comes to the challenge against Wolfsburg, who have collected four points so far. “We have to stay humble,” said Kwasniok, who has already ticked off previous successes and is focusing on the next game. Loud OneFootball Cologne plans to accompany around 3,500 fans to Wolfsburg and convince them with committed performances.

Challenges and opportunities

Kwasniok has recognized that the encounter will not be a walk in the park. The footballing quality and robustness of Wolfsburg's players, especially those of Maxi Arnold and Aaron Zehnter, should not be underestimated. However, due to personnel constraints, FC will have to do without Luca Kilian, who is out due to a torn cruciate ligament. Isak Johannesson, on the other hand, still falls into the “questionable” category after suffering a horse kiss. Kwasniok is optimistic that the rest of the squad is available and could field the same starting eleven as in the last game against Freiburg.

Statistical insights

A look at the statistics shows that VfL Wolfsburg has an advantage with a market value of 265.90 million euros, while Cologne has 77.45 million euros. In terms of average value, the Wolfsburg team is also clearly in the plus at 9.17 million euros per player compared to the 2.67 million euros that the Cologne players are worth on average. Although both teams have the same age range (Wolfsburg: 25.6 years, Cologne: 25.8 years), Wolfsburg has the edge with 12 national players compared to the 5 from Cologne. These differences could be crucial when the two teams meet in the Bundesliga on September 13th.

Historical encounters

There have been some exciting games in the last ten meetings between the two teams. Here is a brief overview of the last encounters:

• 27. Januar 2024: VfL Wolfsburg 1:1 1. FC Köln
• 26. August 2023: 1. FC Köln 1:2 VfL Wolfsburg
• 25. Februar 2023: 1. FC Köln 0:2 VfL Wolfsburg
• 3. September 2022: VfL Wolfsburg 2:4 1. FC Köln
• 7. Mai 2022: 1. FC Köln 0:1 VfL Wolfsburg

In a direct duel, the omens are mixed, and FC will do everything in its power to turn the odds in its favor.

The look forward

Kwasniok sees himself as a pragmatist and promises flexibility in the lineup if the situation requires it. His objective for the match against Wolfsburg is clear: “A positive surprise” and get the next three points to Cologne. “There’s something going on!”, you could say, and the fans can look forward to an exciting and competitive game.