- Head-to-head: Leverkusen have won all 3 of the head-to-head meetings between these two sides and beat Köln 2-1 away in Bundesliga 2025/2026.
- Odds: Bayer 04 Leverkusen are the 1.66 favorites with the bookmakers ahead of the game.
- Home form: Köln are undefeated in 3 home matches and thrashed Union Berlin 0-5 in the cup.
Leverkusen look for a lift at RheinEnergieSTADION
Leverkusen are the clear favorites to take the points from this Sunday's derby at RheinEnergieSTADION, but Köln should be competitive in what promises to be a thrilling matchup between two Bundesliga clubs who have had a mixed start to the new campaign. Werkself are 6th in Bundesliga 2026-2027 with 13 points from eight games, while the Billy Goats are 13th with nine points from eight matches.
Leverkusen have lost their last two games, suffering a 2-4 home defeat to Stuttgart in the Bundesliga last weekend and then a 0-1 loss to Marseille in the Europa League on Thursday. Köln have two wins, two draws and a defeat in their last five games in all competitions.
Leverkusen have conceded 11 goals in four away league games so, with Patrik Schick at his sharp-shooting best (4 Bundesliga goals in 4 games), Köln should fancy their chances of landing a blow at some point. Carles Martínez has tweaked the team to play a more forward-thinking 4-2-3-1 this season based around possession and pressing, which should give the visitors the edge in the matchup.
Martínez’s men have the mental edge
Host resilience:
But Rene Wagner's men are no pushovers and should not be underestimated for this game. The Billy Goats tend to play a transitional game, which can be dangerous when their opponents push forward and leave them space to counter.
Tactical setup:
Wagner's latest tactical blueprint could be best described as a 3-3-2-2, where the two forwards float around while the two number 10's operate off the striker. The setup is geared towards solidity and vertical play, which shouldn't make for a dull game, especially with the hosts unbeaten in three at home.
Attacking threats:
A 5-0 hammering of Union Berlin on Wednesday showed that Köln can be a potent attacking force on their day and Thijs Dallinga, with two goals in his last three appearances, is clearly their main danger man. Ibrahim Maza has added a bit of a spark to Leverkusen's attack of late with two in their last five, but they are still looking for a finisher of Schick's class to get them through games.
Goals on the cards in derby clash
So, while the Werkself should edge it, Leverkusen have a psychological advantage having not lost the last two away games at Koln and they can make it very difficult. Hence, an away win and both teams to score looks a better option to an outright Leverkusen win.
- Leverkusen have won the last three head-to-head encounters and beat Koln 2-1 away in Bundesliga 2025/2026 six months ago.
- They have only won one, drawn one and lost two of their four away Bundesliga games this term, but they have the better squad and firepower overall.
- The goals markets also look too tight for a potential derby classic, with Over 2.5 goals at 1.38 and BTTS Yes at 1.42.
