Blessin’s Gladbach debut comes in a Rhine derby
Alexander Blessin takes charge of Borussia Mönchengladbach for the first time on Sunday, 11 October 2026, and his first game is the Rhine derby at 1. FC Köln. Gladbach are bottom of the Bundesliga with no points from four games, and Eugen Polanski was sacked on 13 September. Interim coach Jan-Moritz Lichte then lost his only game 4-3 to Mainz. René Wagner’s Köln are 13th on four points but are without both of their recognised strikers. Kick-off is at 15:30 local time, with Florian Badstübner the referee.
„Our only aim is to make sure Gladbach stay on zero points.“ – Köln coach René Wagner
Predicted lineups: Köln vs Gladbach
Köln are without their two main strikers. Thijs Dallinga has a cruciate ligament injury and is out long-term, and Ragnar Ache has a muscle injury that will keep him out for three to four weeks. Timo Hübers is a long-term absentee, and Alessio Castro-Montes is short of fitness. Wagner named Marius Bülter as an option for the target-man role and mentioned Saïd El Mala as an alternative up front, but he refused to reveal his line-up. For Gladbach, Franck Honorat, Jens Castrop, Enzo Leopold and Nicolas Kühn are out, while Tim Kleindienst and Ko Itakura are doubts. Zento Uno is available again and could make his Bundesliga debut for the club.
Köln Team News & Preview
Köln’s 2-1 defeat in Hamburg before the international break said a lot about their season. They had 68 per cent of the ball and 18 shots, Dallinga was denied from five yards, and they still fell behind to a corner just before half-time. Ache’s header in the 90th minute came too late. Their four games have brought a 3-2 home win over Hoffenheim, a 4-1 defeat in Stuttgart, a 1-1 draw with Bremen and that loss in Hamburg.
The problem now is who scores. Dallinga and Ache have three of Köln’s six league goals between them, and both are out. That leaves Linton Maina, Mikey Moore and El Mala to carry the attack, possibly with Bülter as a focal point. The defence is not convincing either: Köln have conceded nine goals and have not kept a clean sheet this season.
What works for or against Köln
- Köln had 68 per cent possession and 18 shots in the defeat at Hamburg.
- Strikers Dallinga and Ache, who have three of their six league goals, are both out.
- They have conceded in all four league games this season.
- Three of their four league games have produced at least three goals.
Gladbach Team News & Preview
Gladbach’s record is grim: four defeats, six goals scored and 16 conceded, the second-worst defence in the league behind Union Berlin. Their games have been wild rather than one-sided, though. They lost 4-3 at home to Elversberg and 4-3 to Mainz, and against Mainz they led 1-0, missed a penalty through Kevin Diks and conceded from a throw-in and two set pieces. Seven of their 16 goals conceded came in the final 15 minutes of games.
Blessin was appointed on 22 September and has had the international break to work with the squad. His priority is defensive organisation, and he wants Gladbach to take the sting out of the derby atmosphere in the first 10 to 15 minutes. But his St. Pauli side conceded 41 goals in 34 Bundesliga games in his first season there, and less than three weeks of work rarely fixes a defence this leaky.
What works for or against Gladbach
- Gladbach have conceded 16 goals in four games, seven of them in the last 15 minutes.
- Alexander Blessin takes charge for the first time after his appointment on 22 September.
- They scored three goals in both the Elversberg and Mainz games.
- Honorat, Castrop, Leopold and Kühn are out, and Kleindienst and Itakura are doubts.
Köln vs Gladbach Odds
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Cologne vs. Gladbach Form Guide
Cologne Form, Stats & Data
Köln concede 2.25 goals per game and have not kept a clean sheet yet, so even a weakened Gladbach attack should get chances. Going forward, 1.50 goals per game is a decent return, but half of that output came from the two strikers who are now injured. Expect a lot of the ball and plenty of shots from Köln, but a less clinical finish.
Gladbach Form, Stats & Data
Gladbach concede four goals per game, the clearest sign of their problems, but they still score 1.50 per game. Bolin, Neuhaus and Lidberg have all scored, and their games have averaged more than five goals. A new coach usually brings a tighter shape first, but less than three weeks is a short time to fix defending this poor.
Köln vs Gladbach: Prediction & Betting Tip
The result is hard to call. A coach’s first game in a derby is unpredictable, Köln are missing both strikers, and Gladbach are bottom with no points. The goals angle is clearer. All four Gladbach games have produced at least three goals, three of Köln’s four have too, and neither side has kept a clean sheet this season.
The strongest argument against the bet is the combination of a new coach and Köln’s injuries. Blessin’s first job is to make Gladbach harder to beat, and Köln without Dallinga and Ache may struggle to turn possession into goals, as they did in Hamburg. But Gladbach have conceded in every game, often late, and I do not expect a few weeks of training to change that completely. I expect goals at both ends.
My main bet is Over 2.5 Goals at 1.50 with Winz. My correct-score pick is 2-1 to Köln.