Köln's looking to right the ship against a lower-league side, but preseason form has been rough. 🔴 A mismatch on paper, yet friendly matches can be tricky — especially when you've just taken a 5-1 battering from Bayern.

Form tells the story: Köln's winless in five, with losses piling up faster than wins. Rheinsud are the underdogs here, but Köln will want to rebuild some confidence before the real campaign kicks off.

Key storylines:

• Köln need a convincing performance to shake off those Bayern nightmares and show attacking shape ahead of the Bundesliga grind
• L. Waldschmidt and L. Maina lead the front line, so expect Köln to focus on getting those two clicking early
• Rheinsud's job is simply to stay compact and stay in the game — no shame in a loss to a top-flight outfit

Expected lineups:

• 1. FC Köln: M. Schwäbe, M. Bülter, J. Simpson-Pusey, R. v. d. Berg, S. Sebulonsen, Í. B. Jóhannesson, T. Krauß, L. Waldschmidt, L. Maina, J. Thielmann
• FC Rheinsud Koln: TBD

Prediction:

Köln 3–0 Rheinsud. Expect a dominant performance and a morale booster before the serious stuff begins. 🏁