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Bundesliga 2012, Week 33 Preview And Fixtures: All Or Nothing For Köln

FC Köln will be desperate for points if they want to avoid the relegation playoff.

WOLFSBURG, GERMANY - JANUARY 21: Lukas Podolski of Koeln gestures during the Bundesliga match between VfL Wolfsburg and 1. FC Koeln at Volkswagen Arena on January 21, 2012 in Wolfsburg, Germany. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Bongarts/Getty Images)
WOLFSBURG, GERMANY - JANUARY 21: Lukas Podolski of Koeln gestures during the Bundesliga match between VfL Wolfsburg and 1. FC Koeln at Volkswagen Arena on January 21, 2012 in Wolfsburg, Germany. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Bongarts/Getty Images)
WOLFSBURG, GERMANY - JANUARY 21: Lukas Podolski of Koeln gestures during the Bundesliga match between VfL Wolfsburg and 1. FC Koeln at Volkswagen Arena on January 21, 2012 in Wolfsburg, Germany. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Bongarts/Getty Images)
Bongarts/Getty Images

Köln need results to go their way this weekend.

With only two matches remaining in the season and four points behind Augsburg, Köln need certain results to go their way if they are to avoid the relegation playoff against the 3rd place 2.Bundesliga side.

The Billy Goats currently sit four points behind Augsburg, and you can easily see why they have a dilemma. They can’t end the season level on points with Augsburg, because the goal differential is too much to make up in two matches.

The season for Köln boils down to this: They need to beat Freiburg this weekend and Bayern Munich next weekend, and Augsburg needs to lose to Borussia Mönchengladbach and Hamburg.

If that scenario doesn’t play out, then Köln will be in the relegation playoff.

Can they pull this off? Yeah, they can, but the odds are against them. Saturday’s match against Freiburg will not be easy. They may have sealed their Bundesliga survival last week, but Freiburg are in excellent form and on a nine match unbeaten streak.

What does Köln need to survive? They need some brilliance from Lukas Podolski. The German international has scored 17 of their 37 goals this season. If anyone is going to score the goals to keep them in the Bundesliga next season, it will be Podolski.

Now, here comes the scary part, Köln haven’t won a match since March 10th and only have two wins in 2012. If the Cathedral City will remain in the Bundesliga, it’s time to win now. If they don’t win now, they’ll be in the 2.Bundesliga next season.

Fixtures

Saturday, April 28

Wolfsburg vs Werder Bremen - 15:30 CET & 9:30AM EST

Bayer Leverkusen vs Hannover - 15:30 CET & 9:30AM EST

Hamburg vs Mainz - 15:30 CET & 9:30AM EST

Hoffenheim vs Nürnberg - 15:30 CET & 9:30AM EST

Bayern Munich vs Stuttgart - 15:30 CET & 9:30AM EST

Freiburg vs Köln - 15:30 CET & 9:30AM EST

Borussia Mönchengladbach vs Augsburg - 15:30 CET & 9:30AM EST

Kaiserslautern vs Borussia Dortmund - 15:30 CET & 9:30AM EST

Schalke vs Hertha Berlin - 15:30 CET & 9:30AM EST

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