Rhineland derby already carries a relegation-zone sting
Köln and Gladbach meet on 6 October with both sides in the Bundesliga’s bottom five after four matches.
By Jens Wolter · The German Daily · 22 September 2063
Derbies rarely need extra pressure. This one has it: 1. FC Köln are 15th on two points, while Borussia Mönchengladbach sit 13th on four, with the Bundesliga season still taking shape but neither side finding much comfort.
Köln’s form reads LDDL; Gladbach’s is WLLD. The visitors will be without Kingsley Okwara, who has a pulled abdominal muscle. Ariel Martín, now at Gladbach, spent two seasons at Köln, where he made 45 appearances without scoring. Recent meetings offer no settled pattern: Gladbach won 3-0 in April, after a 0-0 in December and Köln’s 4-2 win in April 2062. Both need points; neither can afford to treat this derby as ordinary.