1. FC Köln is struggling to avoid relegation. At FC Augsburg, coach Timo Schultz’s team got a point in their fifth away game in a row, but have now been without a much-needed win for seven games. After the turbulent 1:1 (1:1) in Swabia, especially in the second half, Cologne is still stuck in 17th place.
The Augsburg team, who would have set a club record for the Bundesliga with a fifth win in a row, initially took the lead through Arne Maier (18th). The hosts, who would have come within three points of sixth place, then allowed the guests to equalize through David Selke (33′). Until the final whistle, both teams missed their best chances to win.
Augsburg more lively and structured
The renewed draw is of course not enough for Cologne. “We know we are in crunch time now. We know that we need victories to get over the line,” coach Schultz told broadcaster DAZN before the game. He had aligned his team accordingly offensively and therefore with the courage to take risks.
Before the Cologne team could really become dangerous, they were already behind: After a long throw-in from Kevin Mbabu, Philipp Tietz passed it on unchallenged to Maier, who represented the suspended top scorer Ermedin Demirovic as ten and also as goalscorer.
Augsburg seemed far more lively and structured than the guests. And yet, like a bolt from the blue, the equalizer came. Augsburg lost the ball in Cologne’s half and were completely open at the back when Florian Kainz quickly sent Sargis Adamyan steep – Selke only had to push his cross pass in.
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Augsburg seemed a bit knocked out afterwards, but still had good chances to score: FC goalkeeper Marvin Schwäbe twice prevented Cologne from falling behind again against Kristijan Jakic (35th and 45th + 3). After the break, the hosts increased the pressure again, but Cologne also came close to scoring in the sometimes turbulent second half thanks to Adamyan and Jan Thielmann.
Substitute Dion Beljo, whose backheel ball scratched Thielmann off the line (70th), and Ruben Vargas had the best chances to win for Augsburg. Shortly before the end, the Swiss international was denied by a strong Schwäbe parry from close range (87′).