1. FC Köln vs FC Schalke 04 prediction: Köln’s home form against a Schalke side short on goals
By Elison · Sat 24 Oct 2026Bundesliga
1. FC KölnFULL-TIME
FC Schalke 04Saturday 24 October 2026 · 15:30
Our score 2-1Missed
1. FC Köln to win@ 2.12
1xBet
Köln are unbeaten in all three home league games this season, winning two and drawing one, and have beaten Schalke in four of the last five meetings between the sides.
Form: Köln have won their only home game among their last three while Schalke have lost two of their last three matches.
Team news: Dallinga, Hübers, Skhiri and van den Berg are all ruled out for Köln, with Ache doubtful; Karaman, Ljubičić, Schallenberg, Sylla and Wöber are all ruled out for Schalke.
Read the post-match analysis →Read the match previewTrack Record
1. FC Köln and FC Schalke 04 meet in the Bundesliga this Saturday afternoon, with Köln sitting twelfth on seven points and Schalke fifteenth on five points from six games played. Köln come into this having won one and lost three of their last five, while Schalke have managed just one win in their last five and have lost two of their last three.
Form guide
1. FC Köln
1-01. FC Köln2-1
Borussia Mönchengladbach
2-11. FC Köln1-1
Werder Bremen
4-11. FC KölnFC Schalke 04
0-1
FSV Mainz 05
2-1FC Schalke 040-0
SV Elversberg
1-3FC Schalke 040-0
Bayern MünchenLast 5 meetings
Our prediction: 1. FC Köln to win
1. FC Köln's home record this season is the most compelling reason to back them here. The bookmakers make Köln a 46% chance to win this match, and their best price of 2.12 with 1xBet reflects a side that is a genuine favourite in front of their own supporters.
Schalke’s troubles away from home add further weight to the home side’s case. In their three away league games this season, Schalke have won once but lost twice, conceding at 2.00 per game on the road. Their chance creation has also been limited: across their last five matches, Schalke have averaged an expected goals figure of just 0.90 per game, and they have failed to score in three of those five.
The head-to-head record reinforces the case for a Köln win. Köln have won four of the last five competitive meetings between these clubs, with Schalke yet to win any of them. The two most recent encounters, in 2025 and 2024, ended in Köln victories.
Both squads have several players out injured, and the balance of absences does not clearly favour the visitors.
Other tips
Both teams to score is rated Possible, and the case for it is real despite Schalke’s struggles in front of goal at home. Schalke have scored in both away games among their last five and conceded at a high rate in those matches. Köln, meanwhile, have kept no clean sheets in any of their last five games, and both teams have scored in four of those five. The bookmakers put the chance of both teams scoring at 60%, with a best price of 1.60.
Over 2.5 goals is rated Possible. Köln's average expected goals across their last four matches stands at 1.66 per game, and their average expected goals against is 1.89, pointing to a match with scoring on both sides. The strongest counter to over 2.5 goals comes from the meetings between these two sides, where the last five produced ten goals in total and the last three managed just five between them, yet the bookmakers still make over 2.5 goals a 57% chance. Against that, one of 1. FC Köln's two home games among the last five had two goals or fewer.
| Bookmaker | Home | Draw | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
 1xBet |
2.12 | 3.92 | 3.47 |
 bet365 |
2.10 | 3.70 | 3.30 |
 Betfair |
2.10 | 3.75 | 3.30 |
Prices as published before kick-off, kept as a record.
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Earlier on 1. FC Köln and FC Schalke 04
Our previous coverage of both clubs.
FC Schalke 040FSV Mainz 051
