Cologne vs Hertha BSC

Cologne and Hertha BSC will face-off against each other at the RheinEnergieStadion in their opening 2021/22 Bundesliga fixture.

Cologne bounced back from a 1-0 first-leg loss to Holstein Kiel to orchestrate a stunning 5-1 return-leg comeback and prevail in their relegation play-off battle. That was a rare bright spot in an otherwise utterly underwhelming Bundesliga campaign that saw Cologne lose 50% of their Bundesliga fixtures in 2020/21 (W8, D9, L17) and concede an average of 1.74 goals per match. Yet, the ‘Billy Goats’ must be excited about their chances of launching the new season on a more positive note, as they go up against a Hertha side they’ve not lost to in any of their last three top-flight H2Hs (W1, D2), keeping a clean sheet on each occasion. However, the hosts have lost their previous three opening day Bundesliga games, which could raise a few concerns.

On the other hand, Hertha ensured another top-flight campaign slightly earlier than Cologne, thanks to a run of one defeat from their final nine Bundesliga games last term (W3, D5). After adding a few quality names to the roster over the summer, Hertha will be looking to maintain their impressive eight-match unbeaten streak in the Bundesliga openers (W6, D2). It is not only the top-flight’s second-best run, but the visitors have also come out victorious in three of their previous four such encounters away from home. But after drawing a blank in three consecutive league H2Hs, ‘Die Alte Dame’ will be keen to find the back of the net in their fifth straight Bundesliga trip, last season included.