They might be third in the Bundesliga table, but Hertha Berlin will

take a five-match winless streak in Germany’s top flight to mid-table

Cologne on Friday.

Only Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are above

Pal Dardai’s Hertha, but the capital city club has drawn four and lost

one of their last five.

There is already a 15-point gulf between them and second-placed

Dortmund, but although Hertha are on course for direct qualification to

the Champions League, both Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia

Moenchengladbach are just a point behind.

Hertha have already collected more points this season (36), than the

35 they achieved in the whole of their previous campaign and have won

five of their last six visits to Cologne, who are ninth.

“From the way they have developed, they are almost unrecognisable

from the end of last season,” said Cologne’s coach Peter Stoeger —

Hertha finished 15th last season, just a point from relegation.

A first appearance in the Champions League since 2000 is on the cards.

Part of Hertha’s success is down to the partnership forged by Ivory

Coast striker Salomon Kalou and Vedad Ibisevic, who have bagged 17

league goals between them.

In contrast, Cologne are relying solely on the 10-goal tally of the aptly-named French striker Anthony Modeste.

“They have two boys up front in Kalou and Ibisevic, who can practically guarantee goals,” added Stoeger.

“Hertha have managed to put together a good run of results this season, which we haven’t managed to do.

“We must not give them space, because they can recognise situations very quickly and exploit them.”

Last September, Ibisevic scored twice in Hertha’s 2-0 win over Cologne in Berlin.

One of the factors behind Hertha’s league success, and run to their

first German Cup semi-final in 35 years, has been the silky crossing of

right-back Mitchell Weiser.

The 21-year-old has been a first-team regular since his transfer from

Bayern Munich at the end of last season and has pitched in with five

assists in the league.

Having come up through Cologne’s academy, Weiser is looking forward to his return to the Rhein Energie Stadion.

He still holds the record — 17 years, ten months and three days set

in 2012 — for the youngest player to represent Cologne in the

Bundesliga.

“I’m really looking forward to playing there again. I played my first

Bundesliga match there and it is a special place for me,” said Weiser.

Having failed to hold down a regular spot under Pep Guardiola at Bayern, Weiser has thrived at Hertha.

When a fight with midfielder Anis Ben-Hatira on Hertha’s team bus

coming back from a game left Weiser with a black eye last month, it was

Ben-Hatira who was transferred to Eintracht Frankfurt.