Top game in the 2nd league: Paderborn vs. Cologne - who does the race?

Top game in the 2nd league: Paderborn vs. Cologne - who does the race?

On March 29, 2025, a key game between SC Paderborn and 1. FC Köln takes place in the 2nd Bundesliga. Both teams are not only promotion aspirants, but are also in the direct fight for the best places in the table, behind the leaders Hamburger SV. The betting providers see Paderborn as favorites, with quotas of up to 2.30 for a win. A look at the current achievements of the teams shows that Paderborn is the strongest team in the league and has an impressive series of success.

Paderborn took third place after 26 match days with 45 points and has only three points behind the Hamburger SV. Particularly noteworthy is the strong defensive of the hosts, which only faces 32 goals. In the last three home games, Paderborn was able to leave the pitch as the winner. With Filip Bilbija and Adriano Grimaldi, each of which have scored seven goals, they have well in shape. Another pleasant fact for the Paderborn fans is that the team has been unbeaten for six games.

FC Köln in direct comparison

The 1. FC Köln is in second place in the table and has collected 47 points. After a dry spell of three games without a win, Cologne was able to find back on the winning road in the last two games. Your defensive is also strong, so you stand with only 31 goals. Damion Downs is the best scorer of the Cologne team and has scored nine goals. Cologne is also the second best away team of the league with seven wins from 13 games.

The direct encounter between the two teams shows that Paderborn won five games in the 2nd league, while Cologne could only pull away three times. In the first leg of this season, Paderborn won 2-1. In addition, the last five encounters between these teams have always produced at least three goals, which indicates an exciting game on Saturday.

betting odds and promotion prospects

Another point of view is the general situation in the promotion race of the 2nd Bundesliga. Hamburger SV and Fortuna Düsseldorf are generally considered favorites for promotion, while teams such as Hannover 96, Karlsruher SC and Paderborn are also part of the promoted discussion. From a historical point of view, many teams that failed in the relegation often cannot rise in the following season. The 1. FC Köln and Darmstadt 98 could also play a role in the promotion race.

Overall, everything indicates that the duel between Paderborn and Cologne is not only of great importance for the respective club fans, but could also have massive effects on the promotion race and future season planning. While the clock is ticking and the tension is increasing, this game could bring decisive points in the race for the climb.

Wettbasis and offer valuable insights and analyzes about the current situation of the teams and their shape curves. The statistics of recent years also show the dynamics that exist in German football.