1. FC Köln vs TSG Hoffenheim preview: Hosts looking to upset high-flying Hoffenheim

1. FC Köln

The start of 2026 has seen significant improvement from Köln despite a tricky run of fixtures. Two wins and a draw give Lukas Kwasniok's side a four-point cushion from the relegation playoff, although four losses — including three to clubs in the top five — mean they are still far from safe.

Köln were close to recording a great result against fourth-placed VfB Stuttgart last weekend. After going down early, Ragnar Ache scored his fourth goal of the season to pull level after 79 minutes. However, Köln couldn't hold on, as Stuttgart scored twice late to come away with a 3-1 win.

Recent history is on Köln's side. Hoffenheim have won only one of their last five games against Effzeh, and lost 1-0 in October thanks to a goal from rising star Said El Mala.

Team News:

Jahmai Simpson-Pusey is back from injury and is an option for the squad, although Kwasniok confirmed he is not ready to start. Dominique Heintz is also an option for the squad following his injury in late December. Ísak Jóhannesson is back after dealing with illness last week.

Alessio Castro-Montes and Linton Maina are not yet ready to return to action, while Timo Hübers and Luca Kilian remain out for some time.

Predicted Lineup: Schwäbe, Sebulonsen, Schmied, Özkacar, Thielmann, Martel, Krauß, Lund, Kamiński, Bülter, Ache

TSG Hoffenheim

Hoffenheim have been near flawless in 2026 so far, winning six of seven games to jump to third in the Bundesliga. The loss was a big one, though, as a red card after just 17 minutes and a massive performance from Luis Díaz gave league leaders Bayern Munich a 5-1 win.

However, Hoffenheim responded in the best possible way. Ilzer's side went after Freiburg, taking 25 shots and scoring three times in the second half to come away with a 3-0 win, thanks to goals from Fisnik Asllani, Ozan Kabak, and Valentin Gendrey. Asllani had not scored since December after a hot start to the season.

Hoffenheim have brilliant in attack, trailing only Bayern Munich in Bundesliga goals this season. They'll look to go after a Köln side that has conceded nearly two goals per game.

Team News:

Kevin Akpoguma is back after his red card suspension, while Bernardo and Cole Campbell are back in training and could be part of the match squad.

Tim Lemperle is denied a return to Köln because of injury, as is Adam Hložek. Koki Machida remains a long-term absence after his ACL tear in August.

Predicted Lineup: Baumann, Coufal, Kabak, Hranáč, Hajdari, Avdullahu, Prömel, Burger, Kramarić, Asllani, Touré