Hoffenheim head to the 'Cathedral City'

Hoffenheim have good memories of their last away match. Following two winless matches, a goal from Maicosuel secured a third away win of the season at SC Freiburg. After the home defeat against VfL Wolfsburg, Hoffenheim are in need of victory at the RheinEnergieStadion if they are to remain in contention at the top: "I don't care how we play, the important thing is that we get the three points," said coach Rangnick.

Several question marks

There are several question marks over the starting 11 for the away match in Köln. The international players only returned to the club on Thursday and so far Rangnick has been unable to make an official announcement regarding the fitness of his players. Chinedu Obasi, who has been out injured recently, could well prove an alternative in attack. Tobias Weis can also expect to be involved having begun training with the first team once again following a muscle tear. Andreas Ibertsberger and Matthias Jaissle, on the other hand, remain sidelined.

Fourth best defence in the Bundesliga

Köln coach Zvonimir Soldo can breathe again following his side's 1-0 victory at Hertha Berlin, which opened up a three point gap between Saturday's hosts and the relegation zone. It was the fourth away match in a row that Hertha have not conceded, and the fact that they have only conceded 11 goals all season means that they boast the fourth-tightest defence in the league. One of the principle reasons for this is giant goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon, who is enjoying his best season at the club at the ripe old age of 38. Central defenders Youssef Mohamad and Pedro Geromel have also put in some solid displays.
Spotless record against Köln

The Hoffenheim fans look back fondly on their last two meetings with the 'Cathedral City' outfit as Ralf Rangnick's side emerged victorious on both occasions last season. The home victory at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena back in May was of particular note, as it was the home side's first victory in 12 games. Demba Ba and Sejad Salihovic were the scorers in a 2-0 win. Two goals from Vedad Ibisevic helped Hoffenheim to a 3-1 victory in the reverse fixture at the RheinEnergieStadion.