Hoffenheim vs Cologne Prediction for 4 October 2025 - Football

🔊 Matchday six of the Bundesliga kicks off in Sinsheim, where Hoffenheim host Köln at the PreZero Arena. The home side enters the match still searching for their first points on their own turf. Meanwhile, the visitors, after a strong start, have suffered back-to-back defeats and now face the harsh reality of focusing on top-flight survival. In our prediction, we explain why fans can expect a high-scoring encounter.

Head-to-Head

📊 In the last 30 matches, Hoffenheim have come out on top 13 times, while Cologne have claimed victory 9 times. Eight games ended in a draw. The teams last faced each other in the 2023/24 season: Hoffenheim triumphed 3-1 at the RheinEnergieStadion, and in the reverse fixture on home turf, they drew 1-1.

Hoffenheim Team Overview

🔵 Following a heavy home defeat to Bayern (1-4), Christian Ilzer's squad traveled to Freiburg for their fifth round fixture, ending in a 1-1 draw. Hoffenheim conceded just three minutes in, but equalized ten minutes later thanks to Vladimir Coufal's assist to Fisnik Asllani. After the early exchange of goals, both teams saw few chances, resulting in the first draw of the season for the Blue-Whites. With five rounds played, Hoffenheim sit in 10th place, and the upcoming match at the PreZero Arena presents a solid opportunity to end their two-game winless streak.

Cologne Team Overview

🔴 Lukas Kwasniok's "Billy Goats" suffered their first home defeat of the season and their second consecutive loss in the last round. The German Cup holders Stuttgart visited the RheinEnergieStadion and claimed a 2-1 victory. The match started brightly for Köln, with Jakub Kamiński opening the scoring in the 3rd minute following an assist from Ragnar Ache. However, midway through the first half, the hosts conceded a penalty, leaving the teams level at halftime. In the second half, the "Billy Goats" continued to play attractive, passing football but couldn't find the back of the net. Then, with nine minutes remaining, a defensive lapse allowed Stuttgart to score a second goal. This defeat saw Köln drop to 7th place, level on points with Hoffenheim at seven.

Latest news

Hoffenheim

🎙 Christian Ilzer reflected on the match against Freiburg: "After the defeat to Bayern, we came to Freiburg, where it's never easy. We conceded early but responded well and controlled the game for a long period. In the second half, it was crucial to maintain energy and focus; otherwise, the game could have swung in the opponent's favor. We had two excellent chances towards the end. Overall, it's a fair result."

⭐ New signing for the Blue and Whites, Fisnik Asllani, continues to justify his transfer from Elversberg. The Kosovan forward has already tallied 5 points (4 goals and 1 assist) in the goal+assist system, placing him among the top three scorers in the league.

❌ Ozan Kabak, Koki Machida, Adam Hložek, and Valentin Zendre are still sidelined with injuries.

Cologne

🎙 Lukas Kwasniok on the upcoming clash: "Hoffenheim are a team that plays with high intensity. They chase everything that moves and can maintain that pace throughout the match. All eyes will be on us, as it's a Friday night game."

⭐ On loan from Wolfsburg, Jakub Kaminski is the team's top scorer after five rounds with 3 goals. Newcomer Marius Bülter also stands out with 2 goals and 2 assists in four matches.

❌ Bülter, who missed the previous game, remains doubtful. Central defenders Luca Kilian and Rav van den Berg are still undergoing treatment.

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

The match will be officiated by Felix Zwayer. This season, he has already overseen three Bundesliga matches, one Champions League game, and one international fixture. On average, he has shown 5.8 yellow cards per match. In four out of these five games, the total of 3.5 yellow cards was surpassed.

Hoffenheim have received 9 bookings in their first five rounds (1.8 per game), while Cologne have picked up 10 (2 per game). Considering the referee's strictness, it's reasonable to predict that this match will also exceed a total of more than 3.5 yellow cards.

⚽ Goal Prediction

Hoffenheim have scored just 2 goals at home but have netted 7 away. However, it's important to note that they faced top teams like Eintracht and Bayern at the PreZero Arena. Now, they face a more favorable opponent: Cologne's defense has been shaky, conceding 8 goals in the last three rounds. Therefore, betting on Hoffenheim's individual total of over 1.5 goals seems justified.

🚩 Corner Prediction

After five rounds, both Hoffenheim and Cologne have earned 23 corners each (an average of 4.6 per game). The optimal choice is a total of over 8.5 corners. This bet has come through in six consecutive matches involving Hoffenheim and in eight of Cologne's last nine away games.

Both teams are looking to bounce back after disappointing results. Hoffenheim enter as favorites, but they've lost both home games this season. Köln have also been shaky defensively, keeping a clean sheet only in the first round. However, both sides have been consistent in attack, scoring in every match so far. We expect this game to be high-scoring and kick off an exciting Bundesliga weekend. Our prediction: both teams to score (yes). Likely scoreline – 2-1 in favor of Hoffenheim.