Paderborn and Cologne built for survival

At the moment, the Bundesliga table looks a little different to what you might expect: SC Paderborn are in second, while 1. FC Köln are in fourth. Early signs are nothing more than suggestive, but it's encouraging that unlike previous newly-promoted sides, both Paderborn and Cologne appear to have the required necessaries to survive.

Passion and determination have long been the outstanding features of most newly promoted sides, and this year is no exception. Paderborn, relishing their first ever Bundesliga campaign, have shown plenty of heart in their opening two games. And while this is by no means a first time thing for Cologne - locals would claim that two years is an unacceptably long top-flight absence for the Bundesliga's first ever winners - they too have surprised. In both cases though, the passion and fight is accompanied by goal threats, tactical awareness and defensive improvement.

Goal guarantee

Newly promoted sides regularly lack one thing: goals. Take a look at Eintracht Braunschweig last season. For all their bravery, they only managed 29 goals in 34 league games. Their top scorer was striker Domi Kumbela with nine goals in 30 appearances. While he was short of fitness for patches of the season, he proved that the heights of the Bundesliga were a league too high for him. The year before that, Greuther Fürth, also newly promoted, struggled with the same fate, scoring only 26 goals. Top scorer Nikolai Djurdjic managed only five in 15.

This season, in Elias Kachunga and Marvin Ducksch, Paderborn have got two strikers who are capable of performing at this level. Kachunga already has, scoring two in two, and Ducksch is raring to go after showing his potential as a Dortmund substitute. While injuries are always a damming threat to this plan and the season remains young, it looks as though Paderborn have at least equipped themselves with the necessary weapons.

Cologne have done something similar. Anthony Ujah struggled at Mainz in the 2011/12 season, but his (very) early form suggests he's starting to settle in in the Bundesliga. Former German international Patrick Helmes may be sidelined due to injury at the moment, but his experience will be invaluable to his team, regardless of how much playing time he gets. As for Yuya Osako, he arrives fresh-faced after a successful spell at 1860 Munich, and perhaps brings just the right kind of youth to the mix.

Tactically strong

Both teams have head coaches with high potential, particularly Paderborn's Andre Breitenreiter. Like many promising German coaches, Breitenreiter attended the much-acclaimed Hennes Weisweiler academy and is highly touted to follow in the footsteps of Augsburg's Markus Weinzierl, who surprised by leading his side to an eighth-placed finish last season. Like Weinzierl, Breintenreiter made sound recruitments in the summer and has already made his side a collective force.

Peter Stöger arrived on the back of success in Austria, and has made the step to the Bundesliga appear seamless. Last year, Cologne marched to the second-division title, conceding only 20 goals. With more change than Breitenreiter, Stöger's summer signings have been to combat the goal issue (only 53 scored), but the early signs in both departments are good. Stöger's men haven't conceded yet, and their strikers are doing almost everything right.

Defensive improvement

Paderborn are slightly more vulnerable in defense, although their deadline-day signing of Rafa from Getafe will certainly add experience to their backline. Unlike Cologne though, they don't arrive with a defensive formidability about them. Paderborn might have been promoted in second, but they conceded the most goals (48) in the top seven last season. They are fittingly, considering Breitenreiter's system, an attacking side who simply look to outscore opponents. Early signs show a bit more structure than perhaps previously considered - they did keep out Hamburg's Pierre-Michel Lasogga - but the rash last-minute penalty give-away against Mainz on matchday one could be a sign of things to come. Their inexperience at the back may just cost them.

Things are slightly different in Cologne. A 0-0 draw on the opening day with Hamburg, before seeing off Stuttgart 2-0 had a theme to it: clean sheets. Stöger's second division record shows that is where his strength lies, and youngsters like Kevin Wimmer and Jonas Hector continue to improve. Having Germany U21 goalkeeper Timo Horn in goal certainly adds to that defensive organization. Not conceding is a mantra many new sides set themselves, but few follow. Cologne are daring to be the exception.

Then again, perhaps we're being too kind on the newly promoted sides, and maybe even too harsh on those already relegated. Two seasons ago, Fürth's Djurdjic sustained a serious injury and missed the majority of the campaign; Braunschweig took their survival fight right until the final day last season, despite many predicting an early relegation. Both Cologne and Paderborn face long campaigns. Given their modest budgets and small number of stars, anything from injuries to a crisis of confidence could derail their survival plans. Maybe, though, just maybe, this start really is a sign of things to come. This weekend, we might well find out as the pair face one another on matchday three.