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No getting past: Igor Vujačić (right) and Belgrade had everything under control against Cologne and Benno Schmitz
Photo: Darko Vojinovic / dpa
After another bitter defeat, 1. FC Köln is threatened with being eliminated from the group stage of the Conference League.
After a poor performance at the Serbian club Partizan Belgrade, the team coached by Steffen Baumgart deservedly lost 0:2 (0:1) and is under great pressure with two remaining group games.
Before the two remaining group games against OGC Nice and 1. FC Slovacko, Cologne are third in the table (4 points) and four points behind the Serbs.
Nice and Slovacko will play against each other in the evening.
Fousseni Diabate (15th) after a mistake by Timo Hübers and Ricardo Gomes (52nd) scored for Belgrade, who had won 1-0 in Cologne last week.
But unlike the first duel, FC was largely harmless this time and disappointed in a playful way, the defeat could have been clearer.
After a decent start and a first chance through Ellyes Skhiri (5th), Hübers made a serious mistake deep in his own half on the touchline.
His unsuccessful attempt at clarification landed at Diabate's feet, who scored clear in front of FC keeper Marvin Schwäbe.
Pyrotechnics cause disruption
Cologne didn't find their way into the game after that - and didn't pick up momentum even after a long break.
Israeli referee Roy Reinshreiber sent the teams off the field in the 31st minute because fans had set off massive amounts of pyrotechnics and visibility was severely impaired.
The Cologne team still had great problems creating any significant chances - and almost conceded the second goal just before the break.
Queensy Menig (45 + 10) only hit the crossbar of the FC goal.
Things didn't get any better after the break from the Bundesliga club's point of view: Gomes beat three Cologne players in the second goal from Belgrade.
There was still a lack of speed, precision and ideas to pose problems for the Serbian runner-up.
Although FC had a lot of possession, they didn't create any chances.
kjo/dpa/sid