Köln host Hoffenheim with recent meetings finely balanced
1. FC Köln will host 1899 Hoffenheim at the RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne on 29 August, with both clubs bringing similar recent form into the meeting. Köln have won three, drawn one and lost one of their last five matches, a run that mirrors Hoffenheim's own record of three wins, one draw and one defeat over the same number of games.
A recent history split down the middle
The two sides have met five times since April 2023, and the results have refused to favour either camp for long. Köln won 3-1 away in April 2023, before Hoffenheim replied with a 3-1 win at the RheinEnergieStadion later that year. A 1-1 draw at Hoffenheim in February 2024 kept the ledger tight, and Köln then edged a 1-0 win in Sinsheim in October 2025. The most recent meeting, in February 2026, ended 2-2 back in Cologne.
With wins shared evenly across their recent matches and previous meetings producing a spread of scorelines, this early-season fixture arrives with little to separate the two clubs on paper. Köln will look to home advantage at the RheinEnergieStadion to break the recent pattern, while Hoffenheim will point to their own solid recent form as reason for confidence heading into the contest.