1. FC Köln vs Bayer Leverkusen preview and prediction: five straight head-to-head defeats for the hosts

Where the sides stand

• FC Köln host Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga on Sunday 8 November, with kick-off at 14:30 UTC at the RheinEnergieStadion. As things stand at the time of writing, the two sides are separated by 4 points.

Bayer Leverkusen are 6th after 8 games, with 4 wins, 1 draw and 3 defeats. They have 13 points and a goal difference of +2. 1. FC Köln are 12th with 9 points from 8 games: 2 wins, 3 draws and 3 defeats. Their goal difference is -3.

Both positions may change before this fixture, so the table is best read as a snapshot.

Köln's recent form

In their last 5 matches 1. FC Köln have won 2, drawn 2 and lost 1, scoring 8 goals and conceding 3. The latest result was a 1-1 draw away to Union Berlin on 1 November. Three days earlier ... the two sides had met at the RheinEnergieStadion, where Köln won 5-0.

Before that came a 0-0 draw with FC Schalke 04, a 1-0 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt and a 2-1 home win over Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Over the full season Köln average 1.1 goals scored and 1.5 conceded per match. They have kept a clean sheet in 13% of their games and failed to score in 25%.

Leverkusen's recent form

Bayer Leverkusen's last 5 matches brought 3 wins and 2 defeats, with 11 goals scored and 10 conceded. That points to a side involved in open games.

They lost 4-2 at home to VfB Stuttgart on 31 October, after beating 1. FC Nürnberg 5-2 three days earlier. Before that they lost 3-0 away to 1899 Hoffenheim, won 2-0 away to OFI and beat SC Freiburg 2-1 at home.

Their season averages are 2.3 goals scored and 2 conceded per match. Some 88% of their matches have produced more than 2.5 goals, against 50% for Köln.

Head-to-head

The record favours the visitors heavily. Bayer Leverkusen have won all 5 of the most recent meetings, and 1. FC Köln have no win or draw in that run.

• 25 April 2026: 1. FC Köln 1-2 Bayer Leverkusen
• 13 December 2025: Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 1. FC Köln
• 5 February 2025: Bayer Leverkusen 3-2 1. FC Köln
• 3 March 2024: 1. FC Köln 0-2 Bayer Leverkusen
• 8 October 2023: Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 1. FC Köln

Outlook

No absences are listed for either side at the time of writing. The form points in different directions. Köln have been hard to beat lately, while Leverkusen have scored freely but also conceded often. Given Leverkusen's record in this fixture and their goal output, they look the stronger side on paper. Köln's recent solidity and home advantage suggest a competitive game, and a fairly open contest looks likely.