Icon: enlarge
Unusual jerseys, usual result: Cologne loses in Hoffenheim
Photo: Michael Weber IMAGEPOWER / imago images / Michael Weber
1. FC Köln missed the jump from relegation place 16 in the Bundesliga.
The Cologne team lost 3-0 (2-0) at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim at the start of the second half and could not increase the gap to the relegation ranks occupied by Mainz and Schalke.
Andre Kramaric, who was successful in the 3-2 win against Cologne three times in the first half of the season, scored twice with a penalty to 1-0 and 3-0, Christoph Baumgartner increased in the meantime before the change to 2-0.
Anthony Modeste missed the third penalty kick of the game for Cologne in the closing stages and failed due to Hoffenheim's goalkeeper Oliver Baumann.
It was the sixth penalty that Baumann has saved in the course of a year.
The hosts took the lead after just five minutes, because the Cologne defender Cestic hit the hand of a Hoffenheim shot attempt.
A clear penalty decision - that is not a matter of course with handball.
Kramaric turned ice cold, it was his 19th penalty goal in the Bundesliga, which he followed in the 75th minute with his 20th.
Only Robert Lewandowski turned from the point more often among the active players.
In addition, it was Kramaric's 73rd and 74th Bundesliga club, so he is now number one among the Croatian top scorers in the Bundesliga: Behind him are such prominent players as Ivica Olic, Mario Mandzukic and Mladen Petric.
The Cologne team came into play better afterwards, but Hoffenheim scored the next goal again.
Baumgartner deflected a long-range shot after a corner into the goal as artfully as it was untenable for Cologne goalkeeper Timo Horn.
Even after that, Cologne remained committed, but missed two major chances through Marius Wolf, so that it remained at the 2-0 half-time lead.
After the change, the previously entertaining game flattened out.
The Cologne hardly managed to endanger the Hoffenheim goal.
The hosts brought the lead over time without much effort, even increased it to 3-0 in the 75th minute with Kramaric's penalty and now, after the second success in a row, occupy the comforting eleventh place in the table.
Icon: The mirror
Aha