Borussia Dortmund vs. Cologne – Bundesliga preview
On Friday, runaway league leaders Borussia Dortmund host FC Cologne at the Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund and the hosts will be looking to stretch their lead at the top of the Bundesliga standings.
Last week, Dortmund travelled to Munich to face reigning Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena. It was a very tough encounter although the score line suggested something different as Dortmund won 3-1 away from home and consolidated their
lead on top even further. Currently, BVB are 12 points ahead of 2nd placed Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
With the victory, many players and fans are now hopeful of the title. After dismantling a side of Bayern Munich’s calibre on their own turf, Dortmund have warned every side that they are not willing to loosen their grip on the top of the Bundesliga.
Dortmund have been in the driving seat even before the start of 2011 but they never showed any aspirations for the title until this point. The mood at Dortmund seems to have changed and the President of Dortmund, Dr. Reinhard Rauball said that it is a great
time to express their title aspirations as he thought that if his team does not admit that it is aiming for a title, it would lose its credibility at some point.
Dortmund’s only direct opponent for the title race is now Bayer 04 Leverkusen- a team that is 12 points shy of Dortmund and it seems that only a collapse of mammoth proportions would knock Dortmund off their perch.
If Dortmund are able to beat Cologne on Friday, they will move 15 points clear on top of the table. However, Jurgen Klopp believes that Cologne will not be a pushover at all as he knows that they will give his side a tough time. Cologne have been in a good
vein of form of late and have lost only once in the last 5 games they played.
Cologne are currently on 13th place in the Bundesliga but their standing is a very deceiving factor. Last week, they defeated high-flying Mainz 4-2 at home. Confidence should be running high and Cologne would surely be hoping to halt the Dortmund
juggernaut that is still on a roll and it seems that no team is able to cope up with the mercurial side.
Players to Watch
Nuri Sahin (Borussia Dortmund)
The Turkish international has been the heart and soul of the Dortmund side in the ongoing 2010-11 season.
Ever since the talismanic http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Lucas-Barrios-c22533. However, much of his hard work has been noticed while he is helping his defence
before he starts distributing the ball from the centre of the park. His presence has and will once again make the difference for his side.
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Lukas-Podolski-c22896 (Cologne)
The German international started the season slowly but has now become an integral part of the Cologne side that is almost guaranteed safety. He has scored 10 goals so far in the season and his presence upfront is something that Cologne has finally started
benefiting from.
Prediction
It looks like a 3-1 victory for Dortmund is in the cards as they look to stretch their advantage on top of the Bundesliga.
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