Relegation Play-Off First Leg
Kiel with one leg in the Bundesliga: Fighting “storks” shock 1. FC Köln
The players of Holstein Kiel cheering on their winning goal in Cologne
© Ina Fassbender / POOL / AFP
1. FC Köln is facing relegation from the Bundesliga: The table-16. of the regular season loses the relegation game against the second division third Holstein Kiel with 0: 1.
1. FC Köln is facing the seventh relegation from the Bundesliga after a Blitz-Jokertor, for Holstein Kiel the first ascent is meanwhile within reach. The second division club, which could become the first Bundesliga club from Schleswig-Holstein, won the contested relegation first leg on Wednesday in Cologne with 1:0 (0:0) and thus has a brilliant starting position for the second leg on Saturday in Kiel.
Defender Simon Lorenz scored the goal for the storks, who were physically severely stressed after a mammoth program in the wake of two corona quarantines, with his first ball contact 20 seconds after the substitution (59.). The Cologne had demonstrated self-confidence after the just secured jump to 16th place, but hardly followed this with deeds.
Around the stadium in Cologne, it remains quieter than on Saturday
Around the stadium, it was initially quieter than before the Schalke game on Saturday. Although sirens, helicopters and announcements via megaphone could be heard during the game and pyrotechnics were occasionally ignited, according to police, it remained peaceful until the final whistle.
At Kiel, the Cologne loan Niklas Hauptmann slipped into the starting eleven in the game at his parent club for the suspended Alexander Mühling. In addition, coach Ole Werner again put Ioannis Gelios in goal. The real regular keeper had failed six games because of a corona infection and in the two games after that initially did not return to the goal, “because we had a good rhythm”, according to Werner in the streaming service DAZN. Now he changed, “because last time we did not have the luck to play”.
At Cologne, the striker Sebastian Andersson, suffering from permanent knee problems, made it into the squad. According to sports boss Horst Heldt, FC had the plan to”step on the gas from the beginning”. But the favorite did not get into the gears at first, seemed nervous and agile and acted much too passive. The second division club was better and had the first chances through Finn Porath (12.) and Hauptmann (18.).
It was Captain Jonas Hector again who woke the people of Cologne from their lethargy. First his shot from an acute angle was deflected onto the goal net after his own ball conquest (30.). In the following corner, the Kiel side were lucky that referee Felix Zwayer saw a foul play during the duel between Hector and Gelios. As well as a red-worthy foul by Aleksandar Ignjovski against Ondrej Duda (45.). Now Cologne pressed, Duda (45.+2) came closest to the goal.
Even after the change Cologne seemed only on the trigger, but then brought Werner Lorenz and the hit after the directly following corner per head. After 65 minutes, FC Coach Friedhelm Funkel then brought Andersson. But Kiel remained dangerous. In the 78th minute, Janni Serra headed the ball onto the crossbar of the Cologne goal. Subsequently, the second division defending many-legged the narrow lead.
