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Cologne goal scorer Steffen Tigges (left) at 1: 1
Photo:
Marius Becker / dpa
1. FC Köln ended their losing streak with a 3:2 (0:1) win over FC Augsburg.
Three days after the Europa League bankruptcy in Belgrade, Cologne showed a strong performance and won despite an early deficit.
Man of the match was attacker Steffen Tigges, who scored two goals (47th and 81st minute).
Denis Huseinbašić contributed the other goal for Cologne (62').
Before that, Florian Niederlechner gave FCA the lead (14'), Daniel Caligiuri equalized in the meantime (68').
For Augsburg, a series of four games in a row ended without bankruptcy, while Cologne was able to win again after the two Europa League defeats against Belgrade and the 2-5 in Gladbach.
Cologne started the game energetically, but neither Tigges nor Linton Maina could get the ball after a cross (9').
On the other hand, Augsburg took their first chance.
Florian Niederlechner held his own in the penalty area and scored from a tight angle (14').
Augsburg's Mërgim Berisha headed in the supposed 2-0 shortly afterwards, but was just offside (19').
After that, the Cologne team took control of the game and created several chances.
Tigges' shot was cleared by Ruben Vargas a meter from the line (33'), Ondrej Duda tried it just before the break, but was denied by keeper Tomáš Koubek (45').
After the restart, the home team equalized.
The busy Maina served Tigges, who scored the 1-1 from around eleven meters (47th).
The guests seemed haphazard in this phase, except for a free kick from Berisha, which Cologne keeper Marvin Schwäbe parried (57th), the Augsburgers did little.
Augsburg defends weak
Instead, Augsburg delivered a performance that was not very suitable for the Bundesliga.
The ball bounced through the penalty area, the Augsburg defense couldn't clear and so there was space for Denis Huseinbašić, who made it 2-1 from close range (62').
The 21-year-old midfielder was in the starting eleven for the first time in a Bundesliga game.
Actually, everything spoke for a Cologne victory before the Augsburg dared to go forward again - and came out of nowhere to equalize.
Daniel Caligiuri, who came on at half-time, finished after a header from Niederlechner (68').
The game seemed completely open again, but Cologne took the lead again.
After a quick free kick, Mark Uth got the ball, Augsburg's Ermedin Demirović wanted to clear, but passed Tigges, who scored his second goal of the day (81').
Cologne jumps to eighth place in the table with 16 points, while Augsburg is in twelfth place with three points less.
kyo