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Conference League: 1. FC Koln defeats Slovacko in six

2022-09-15T21:57:27.044Z


A 2-0 lead given away, but still won in the end: What 1. FC Köln did against outsiders Slovacko was great for the spectators, but actually no fun for the coach. Steffen Baumgart still had fun.


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Steffen Baumgart on the sidelines of the Conference League game against 1. FC Slovacko

Photo: Federico Gambarini / dpa

When coach Steffen Baumgart returned to the sidelines, 1. FC Köln celebrated their first win in a European Cup group game in almost five years.

An average performance against FC Slovácko was enough for the Cologne team to win 4-2 (2-0).

The fact that the game against the Czech surprise cup winner in the 2nd half turned into a spectacle was something the Cologne team had to blame on themselves and on their own mistakes.

Nevertheless, the FC got a good starting position in Group D of the Conference League.

For coach Baumgart, who was locked in the stands at the 1-1 start in Nice, it was the first European Cup victory, not counting the playoffs as in the official Uefa calculation.

At 15 degrees, the coach in the red and white European Cup shirt walked along the sidelines as bravely as ever.

"Affengeil" was the feeling, said Baumgart on the RTL TV station.

Overall, however, he seemed more relieved than euphoric.

The coach found it difficult to explain the first ten minutes of the second half.

'But it's a young troupe for that.

It's nice that you're back after a 2-2 draw, that I think you've played confidently again and again," said the coach.

Because of the second half, last half hour, the win was deserved.

Ljubicic saves the Cologne rotation eleven

The Armenians Sargis Adamyan (11th) and Florian Dietz (42nd) ensured the half-time lead after corner kicks from Linton Maina.

Slovácko equalized after the break through Jan Kalabiška (49') and 39-year-old ex-Augsburg Milan Petržela (53').

Ivan Ljubicic (65th/74th) scored the decisive goals from the penalty spot and then from the game to win.

After the riots before the game in Nice, everything seemed peaceful in the game that had been upgraded to a risky game.

Baumgart had surprised with his line-up.

He initially gave the three best players of the season – captain Jonas Hector, winger Florian Kainz and midfield strategist Ellyes Skhiri – a breather.

Recently signed Nikola Soldo, son of former FC coach Zvonimir Soldo, made his debut in central defence.

The visitors from the small town of Uherské Hradiště in Moravian Slovakia almost caught FC completely on the wrong foot, but the Hanover-born Iraqi Merchas Doski hit the side netting with his shot after eleven seconds.

But Cologne quickly took control and soon took the lead when Adamyan pushed a header from Luca Kilian over the line.

The Czechs around ex-Leverkusen captain Michal Kadlec, who were accompanied by around 100 fans, actually seemed harmless.

Despite a mediocre first half, FC seemed clearly on the road to victory at the break.

But with a confused first quarter of an hour after the change, the Cologne made the opponent strong again.

Baumgart had to bring on Hector and Skhiri after just under an hour, but Cologne needed a penalty to get back on track.

cev/dpa

Source: spiegel

All sports articles on 2022-09-15

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