Cologne's Peter Stoeger admits they may need a miracle at Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich on Friday with the Bavarian giants scoring 16 goals without reply in recent league games.
Bayern have not conceded a goal in any of their last three league matches, their 8-0 hammering of Hamburg and last Saturday's 6-0 pounding of Paderborn leaving Pep Guardiola's side eight points clear.
With second-placed Wolfsburg at resurgent Werder Bremen on Sunday, with both sides unbeaten in their first five games of 2015, Bayern could well extend their lead unless mid-table Cologne pull off a shock.
That will involve Stoeger's side stopping Bayern's star-studded attack, including fleet-footed Dutch winger Arjen Robben who is the Bundesliga's top scorer with 16 goals in 18 matches.
"But every couple of years there is a miracle," Stoeger told Cologne-based newspaper Express.
"We've already see a few different attempts (to beat Bayern) which didn't work.
"They take every chance they get and if that works too against us, it's hard to survive.
"Our task is to make sure the game is no fun for them.
"It'll take a lot of effort and (Cologne goalkeeper Timo) Horn will need to be in the top form of the last few weeks."
The stats are actually in Cologne's favour.
They are the second best away team in the league behind Bayern with five wins from 11 games on the road and of their last six games in Munich, they have lost only the last when they were beaten 3-0 at the Allianz Arena in December 2011.
- 'Like an orgasm' -
The big match on Saturday is the Ruhr Valley derby with resurgent Borussia Dortmund hosting fellow Champions League side Schalke 04 at the Westfalenstadion.
Dortmund's Gabon winger Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang says winning Germany's top derby is similar to an orgasm.
"I love games like this. Derby wins -- even if it sounds strange -- are almost like an orgasm. In all honesty, it is a similar feeling," the speedy winger told magazine Sport Bild.
Schalke are set to welcome back Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar from suspension while Dortmund are chasing revenge for their 2-1 defeat in Gelsenkirchen last September.
Dortmund are set to be without left-back Lukasz Piszczek and centre-back Papastathopoulos Sokratis after the pair picked up injuries in Tuesday's 2-1 defeat at Juventus in the Champions League last 16, first-leg clash.
There is a fascinating game on Sunday as Bremen host Wolfsburg with Dutch striker Bas Dost having scored nine goals in his last three games in all competitions after netting four times alone in the 5-4 league win over Bayer Leverkusen.
Bremen followed up five straight wins with a 1-1 draw at Schalke last weekend which has taken them from the bottom of the relegation battle to the verge of a European place.
Wolves have won their last four games with Belgium winger Kevin de Bruyne forging a fruitful partnership with Dost, which has already produced 19 goals.
Fixtures (All times 1430 GMT unless stated)
Friday
Bayern Munich v Cologne (1930)
Saturday
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke 04, Bayer Leverkusen v Freiburg, Hoffenheim v Mainz 05, Hannover 96 v VfB Stuttgart, Hertha Berlin v Augsburg, Eintracht Frankfurt v Hamburg (1730)
Sunday
Bor. Moenchengladbach v Paderborn, Werder Bremen v VfL Wolfsburg (1630)
Source: AFP