Defeat in Hoffenheim

On match day 31 of the season, 1. FC Köln suffered a 0-2 (0-0) defeat at the hands of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. A crowd of 30,150 at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena saw a Sejad Salihovic free-kick (58') and a shot from distance by Demba Ba (68') decide the tie in the home teams favour.

Summer football

In comparison to the eleven that started in last weekend's 1-0 win against Werder Bremen, FC coach Christoph Daum made two changes to his side with Pedro Geromel and Petit, who were both suspended for last weekend's game, returning to replace Kevin McKenna and Wilfried Sanou.

On a beautifully sunny afternoon, both sides began cautiously, with early openings proving few and far between. Faryd Mondragon was called upon to stop a 25 meter drive by Demba Ba after eight minutes, whilst at the other end, Nemanja Vucicevic’s deflected effort went just wide of the right post.

It was an evenly matched game, with both FC and Hoffenheim failing to really threaten as the first period progressed. Shortly before the break Ba forced another good save from Mondragon and Petit's free-kick delivery avoided both Youssef Mohamed and Ehret in the middle and so, at the break, the teams left the field of play with the score still at 0-0.

Hoffenheim up the tempo

There was more tempo in the game from both sides after the re-start - but TSG appeared to have the upper hand! Mondragon was forced into action again to deny Boubacar Sanogo (47'), but ten minutes later the FC keeper could do nothing to prevent Hoffenheim taking the lead. Following a hand-ball by Petit, TSG were awarded a free-kick, which Salihovic rifled into the right corner to make it 1-0 (58').

With the wind in their sails having gone in front, the home side appeared to shift up a gear and in the 68th minute they doubled their lead. Ba was left free to hammer a shot from 20 meters out unstoppably into the top right corner. FC sought a way back into the tie, and came close when a deflected Petit free-kick forced a good save from Timo Hildebrand, but in the end it was not to be Köln's day. In the 78th minute FC were reduced to ten men when Mohamad felled Ba in the area. Luckily for the visitors, Sanogo slotted the resulting spot-kick wide of the post, but in the end, TSG Hoffenheim deserved their 2-0 win.


The team line-ups

1899 Hoffenheim: Hildebrand - Janker, Nilsson, Vorsah, Fabricio (46' Sanogo) - Weis (89' Terrazzino), Luiz Gustavo, Salihovic - Obasi, Wellington, Ba (90' Groß)

1. FC Köln: Mondragon - Brecko, Geromel, Mohamad, Wome - Matip (70' Chihi), Pezzoni - Vucicevic, Petit (81' McKenna), Ehret (70' Yalcin)- Novakovic

Goals: 1-0 Salihovic (58'), 2-0 Sanogo (68')

Attendance: 30,150 (sold-out)

Referee: Kempter

Yellow cards: Salihovic / Pezzoni, Novakovic, Matip

Red card: - / Mohamad (79', professional foul)