Fortuna Köln are top of the table in the Regionalliga West and have the best attack and the best defence. Now it’s off to the bottom team.
Almost a quarter of the season in the Regionalliga West is over. In this period, Fortuna Köln has transformed itself from an outsider to one of the top favourites for promotion.
Eight games, six wins, only one defeat: coach Markus von Ahlen’s team is at the top of the table ahead of the guest game at Fortuna Düsseldorf II (Saturday, 2 pm).
“We have started the season well. We have earned the results. That gives you a feeling, confirms you as a team. We are working to maintain that,” von Ahlen said in a club interview.
In addition, the Südstädter are tops in the league both offensively (18 goals) and defensively (4 goals conceded). It is curious how more than half of the goals scored came about: Three goals were contributed by a centre-back, Dominik Lanius. And in eight cases substitute players were successful.
Leon Demaj and Danny Breitfelder are still without a starting eleven appearance this season. Nevertheless, Demaj, who was previously injured for a long time, is Cologne’s top scorer with five goals. And Breitfelder leads the scorers’ list, scoring three times himself and setting up four times.
In the 3-0 win against FC Gütersloh last matchday, the duo came onto the field with just under half an hour to go – and provided all three goals. Whether these applications are meaningful enough in von Ahlen’s eyes for starting spots against Düsseldorf II will be seen on Saturday.
Anyway, the 52-year-old coach warns against the last-place team in the table, who recently wrestled a 0-0 draw away from Alemannia Aachen: “The situation Düsseldorf are in makes them incalculable. We are prepared for everything to be demanded of us.”
Especially as second teams are generally unpredictable “because you never know exactly who is playing”. At the same time, von Ahlen emphasises: “It sounds boring sometimes, but it’s always about getting our themes onto the pitch. I only deal with things that we can influence. We need good energy. “