Matchday 16 - Cologne lose at Union - Baumgart wobbles
Steffen Baumgart immediately disappeared into the dressing room and his players were sent off by their own fans with resounding whistles.
FC Köln and its coach are facing a turbulent festive period after the 2-0 (0-0) defeat at 1. FC Union Berlin - Cologne will spend the short winter break in a relegation spot. "I can give my opinion, I can say that Steffen Baumgart and his team gave us an outstanding performance," said Davie Selke after the final whistle on pay-TV channel Sky.
Benedict Hollerbach (56') and David Fofana (78'), who was recently replaced by new Berlin coach Nenad Bjelica, ensured the decision in front of 22,012 spectators in the sold-out Stadion an der Alten Försterei. Cologne were superior in the first half. "We played great soccer in the first half and had chances that we had to take," said Selke. "It's no good to us. We're here once again, we have to put things away." The defeat was "brutally annoying", said the striker.
The second home win under Bjelica means Union go into the short Christmas break in the Bundesliga in 15th place. Cologne slipped to 17th place - and that at Union legend Baumgart's old place of work. But the Berliners should not be blinded by their success. In this condition, staying in the league remains a hard piece of work.
Five changes to the FC starting eleven
Union coach Bjelica dutifully introduced himself to referee Deniz Aytekin on the touchline with a handshake shortly before kick-off. The Croatian likes good behavior. Accordingly, there was a lot of talk about the absence of star striker Sheraldo Becker from the squad. Discipline, form or just fitness? What was missing? Bjelica had already made an example of Fofana. Visiting coach Baumgart obviously also saw the need for change: five changes to the starting eleven after the 2-0 defeat in Freiburg as a sign of hope for new impetus.
However, after their twelve-minute silent protest against the DFL and its investor plan, both fan camps had to realize that fighting relegation is also a question of patience. The fear of the error devil ensured soccer of the highest caution category. After 38 minutes, Union goalkeeper Frederik Rönnow had to stretch for a ball for the first time when Denis Huseinbasic shot in the penalty area.
Things got even dicier when Rönnow had to clear twice against Huseinbasic and Jan Uwe Thielemann (43'). Cologne goalkeeper Schwäbe, on the other hand, was primarily rewarded for his presence in the first half.
Hollerbach thuds the ball into the corner
After the break, Bjelica brought on striker Fofana, who had recently been sidelined due to a lack of diligence in training, for Kevin Behrens, who continued to be hapless. However, Rönnow was once again in the spotlight, just managing to keep out a header from Cologne's former Hertha player Davie Selke (49').
Hollerbach did not seem to like the way the game was going. He energetically forced his way into the Cologne penalty area and thumped the ball into the corner. A fortunate lead for Berlin, which Hollerbach almost increased himself a minute later, but Schwäbe dived in time to make the save. The Cologne keeper now saved several Berlin counter-attacking chances. However, he was powerless against Fofana's shot from an acute angle.
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- Steffen Baumgart, the coach of FC Köln, found himself in a difficult situation after their 2-0 loss to 1.FC Union Berlin, which placed Cologne in a relegation spot for the winter break.
- The victory over FC Köln marked the second home win for Union's new coach, Nenad Bjelica, in the Bundesliga.
- Benedict Hollerbach and David Fofana, who was recently reintroduced to the squad by Bjelica, scored the decisive goals for Union in front of 22,012 spectators in the sold-out Stadion an der Alten Försterei.
- Cologne's superior performance in the first half, which saw them create numerous opportunities, went to waste as they failed to convert.
- Davie Selke, Cologne's striker, expressed his disappointment at the loss, labeling it "brutally annoying."
- Union's coach Bjelica, who introduced five changes to the starting lineup after their 2-0 defeat in Freiburg, will now have to focus on keeping the team in the Bundesliga.
- Frederik Rönnow, Union's goalkeeper, played a crucial role in the match by making several important saves to secure the victory for his team.
- Meanwhile, 1.FC Union Berlin remains in 15th place in the Bundesliga, while FC Köln slips to 17th place, a significant drop for Baumgart's old team.
Source: www.stern.de
