Dortmund vs. Cologne: Team News, Predicted Line-Ups, Live Stream and TV Info

Borussia Dortmund will have to carefully tread the coming days with a tricky home tie to Cologne on Saturday just days before a testing Champions League clash with Juventus and a disappointing draw with Hamburg last weekend. 

Jurgen Klopp's side still undoubtedly have momentum on their side, as they continue racking up points, but another disappointing result or laboured affair could do untold damage to their revival and long-lasting effects on their European adventures next week. 

Fortunately for the Westfalenstadion side, Cologne are on a bit of a blip themselves, having won just one of their last six games as they contest with the usual malaise of achieving mid-table status a little too early. 

Peter Stoger's side are safe from relegation and won't be pushing on to European qualification, but they sit just one point behind Dortmund in the German top division and could cause them all sorts of problems. 

Form 

Dortmund	Cologne
Hamburg - draw	Eintracht Frankfurt - win
Dresden - win	Freiburg - loss
Schalke - win	Bayern Munich - loss
Juventus - loss	Hannover - draw
Stuttgart - win	Gladbach - loss

Predicted lineup

With only a few injuries in the form of Kevin Grosskreutz and Lukasz Piszczek, Jurgen Klopp should be able to play a largely unchanged side from the one we saw against Hamburg. 

In defence we'll see Marcel Schmelzer on the left with Sokratis Papastathopoulos on the right, while Neven Subotic and Mats Hummels line up in the middle of the park. 

Nuri Sahin is likely to come back into the centre of midfield alongside Ilkay Gundogan, behind Kevin Kampl, Marco Reus and Shinji Kagawa. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang should keep his spot up front. 

In terms of Cologne's own setup we should see a back line of Jonas Hector, Mergim Mavraj, Dominic Maroh and Pawel Olkowski. 

In the centre of the park we should see the usual partnership of Matthias Lehmann and Kevin Vogt with Marcel Risse on the left and Slawomir Peszko on the right wings respectively. 

This will then allow the club to play Anthony Ujah up front alongside Deyverson to conclude the 4-4-2 formation. 

Martin Meissner/Associated Press

Key Players

Marco Reus

We may begin to sound like a broken record, stating that Marco Reus is the key player for Dortmund every week but, as we saw against Hamburg, whenever the German star isn't on his game Klopp's side simply don't look themselves. 

The left-sided forward is the black and yellows' key goalscorer this season and will have to be at his best if Dortmund are to break through another stubborn defence and a tough Bundesliga challenge. 

Anthony Ujah

In the other side we have Nigerian striker Anthony Ujah, who leads his own club's goalscoring charts with nine goals already this season. 

The forward is superb at holding up the ball and his ability to pick the ball out of the air makes him a worthy opponent even to some of Dortmund's most experienced central defenders. 

Frank Augstein/Associated Press

Key Battles

Kevin Kampl vs. Jonas Hector

Kampl will perhaps be up against his toughest test in the Bundesliga thus far when Hector comes to the Westfalenstadion with every intention of keeping the latest addition to Dortmund's attack completely quiet. 

The 24-year-old left-back has been something of a revelation in the Bundesliga this season and should offer an enticing encounter against the bright-eyed and bushy-tailed Kampl on Dortmund's right wing. 

Marcel Schmelzer vs. Marcel Risse

On the other wing we have Cologne's most prominent winger Marcel Risse likely to come up against Dortmund's shakiest full-back in Marcel Schmelzer. 

Klopp's left-back hasn't been very comprehensive or indeed reliable for quite a while and will undoubtedly be Cologne's main target via a midfielder who has scored four goals and provided two assists for his side this season, according to WhoScored.com. 

Odds (Per Odds Shark)

Dortmund - 439

Draw - -286

Cologne - 700