FC Koln’s attempt to swoop for a Europa League spot starts at home against FSV Mainz

FC Koln will face FSV Mainz on the 17^th of May after a two-month halt on footballing action in Germany, owing to the coronavirus. The long-term ambitions of the club vary, and if the clubs are to achieve their ambitions, they will look to grab all three points on Sunday.

FC Koln sit tenth in the Bundesliga table, and with nine games to go, they’ll be hoping to challenge for a top-six spot, although this may seem far-fetched, it isn’t out of their reach. Sixth placed Schalke are only five points ahead and with six of Koln’s remaining games against teams in the bottom half of the table, they have sufficient reason to be optimistic.

FSV Mainz, on the other hand, aim to drift as far away as possible from the bottom three spots on the table. Mainz sit 15^th in the table and will look to resume their relegation battle with a bang. They have a tough run of fixtures towards the season, with away games at Dortmund and Leverkusen in two of their last three games. Hence, they must look to maximise their points now, because leaving it late is almost never wise.

Team news

Jhon Cordoba, Koln’s top scorer this season, has recovered from a minor injury. However, Koln will be without Rafael Czichos, who has suffered a neck injury and Niklas Hauptmann, whose injury details have not come to light.

Mainz are in a similar predicament to Koln, as they too have two players who will miss the game. Jean-Philippe Mateta’s red card from the previous game means he has been suspended for the game against Koln. Further, Robin Zentner’s knee injury has ruled him out for the rest of the season.

Home manager (Markus Gisdol)

“We were really pleased to get back into team training. It took two or three days before we got back up to our usual level again. The team are glad to be back in competition and have a goal in front of them once more. Our team deserve a lot of praise for how they’re getting on with things. We’ve been in good spirits the whole time. ”

Away manager (Achim Beierlorzer)

“I’m pleased to get back to action and I’m looking forward to the game. Obviously, it is a challenge, given the special situation, not to lose focus. But it’s a lot of things have become second nature for us. Mentality is the most important thing for me. It could be that those who can stay concentrated will have an advantage.”

Head-to-head

The two sides have faced each other 20 times in all competitions, with Mainz coming out on top on nine occasions, Koln mustering six wins, and five games ending in a draw. Earlier in the season, Mainz came out 3-1 winners at their home ground, the Opel Stadium.