In terms of personnel, head coach Pellegrino Matarazzo has more options available again as he prepares his side for the trip to Cologne on Saturday (kick-off 15:30 CET). Captain Gonzalo Castro was able to play a full part in training this week after recovering from a muscle tear, while Daniel Didavi and Marc Oliver Kempf are also fit following muscle problems and illness respectively.
Opponents Köln have clawed their way up the Bundesliga table in recent weeks and are currently 14th, five points behind VfB. “Köln have picked up nine points from their last five league games and are probably in the best form they’ve been in all season,” said Matarazzo. “They’re a good defensive unit who are tireless in closing down the spaces. On top of that, they’ve got a good mix in their attacking play.”
Nevertheless, the hosts’ impressive form will not change VfB’s approach to the fixture. “We’re going to Cologne wanting to be successful,” Matarazzo continued. “In order to do that we need to push ourselves to the limit in terms of our togetherness and intensity.” Victory for the Cannstatt boys would provide three more points towards the objective of securing top-flight status, while also keeping them at a distance from one of the teams below.