1. Fc köln defeated tsg hoffenheim 2-1 on friday evening, propelling them into the champions league qualification spots. Köln's goals came from stefan ortlepp and florian kainz, while eric kabak scored for hoffenheim. The win secures köln the fourth place in the table for now.
The match took place as part of matchday 6 of the bundesliga at rheinenergie stadium in cologne. In front of a sold-out crowd of around 50,000 spectators, the billy goats started dynamically and took early control. The hoffenheim side, who have been in poor form lately, struggled to cope with the pressure.
Köln coach stefan baumgart praised the team performance after the final whistle: "We fought as a team and got every bit out of this win." The first goal came in the 23rd minute through ortlepp, who headed in from a corner. Hoffenheim equalized in the 38th minute when kabak converted a set piece.
In the second half, kainz sealed the 2-1 victory for köln with a long-range shot in the 67th minute. The rhinelanders defended their lead until the end and celebrated their third win in a row. This improves köln to fourth place in the table with 12 points, while hoffenheim drops to 14th.
This success is particularly important for köln, who fought for promotion after a tough 2023/24 season. Hoffenheim coach pellegrino matarazzo was critical: "We need to improve our defense; that was disappointing." The duel highlights the tension in the bundesliga, where every point counts for european spots.
Background: Köln has adopted an offensive approach under baumgart this season, which is now paying off. Hoffenheim is struggling with injuries in defense. The win brings hope for köln's ambitions to return to europe for the first time since 2018.