After reaching the last 16 of the DFB Cup, Cologne coach Steffen Baumgart is in “good spirits” going into the clash with BVB and is still tinkering with his starting eleven.
Steffen Baumgart is more happy than thoughtful about the fact that he has a few more useful footballers in his squad than it seemed at first. Which is why he approaches the task of finding the right mix in the line-up for Dortmund with less pensiveness – he assumes that it will work. As usual, a healthy dose of optimism is a must. “Dortmund may have a few personnel problems,” Cologne’s coach cites, “but they are still one of the best teams in Germany.” And yet, above all, “It’s still about winning the game for us and showing a good performance. I’m in good spirits. “
Kainz and Czichos back in team training
Baumgart cannot or does not yet want to reveal how he will approach it in terms of personnel. Florian Kainz and Rafael Czichos, who have been ill recently, will return to team training today, “there may be changes in central defence,” says the coach. But I’ll wait for training again today and then see what kind of feeling I have. “
What is known: Despite the one or other weaker scene recently, Baumgart will be reluctant to do without Czichos. The reasons for this lie in his abilities in the build-up of play and shifting, but also in the leadership quality of the veteran, who doesn’t let a mistake drive him crazy. Of course, the coach also noticed how confident Jorge Meré and Timo Hübers were in the defensive centre in Stuttgart. After the match in Stuttgart (2:0) he praised: “Both were very good. Timo didn’t lose a single duel. Jorge always led the chain well and pushed forward. That shows that we have four very good centre-backs. “
Baumgart’s ability to talk players strong
What this also shows: FC has a stable axis from central defence to the six-man position to the forward line. Baumgart is currently putting his ability to talk players into practice with Salih Özcan. The homegrown is considered a player who makes it difficult for his coaches to find the right position. Against Leverkusen and in Stuttgart, he had good scenes in counter-pressing and starting. In addition, he was strong in tackling and increasingly able to run into and occupy the right space at the right time. “If he implements his game, he is a very good and important player for us,” Baumgart praised him after the Leverkusen game. A clear indication that Özcan can look forward to several tests. Like other players before him who had long been written off in Cologne.
