1. FC Köln fell to a 2:0 defeat against 1. FC Union Berlin on Wednesday evening in Berlin. Despite being the more dangerous side in the first-half, goals from Benedict Hollerbach and David Fofana secured the win for the hosts.
Team news
Nenad Bjelica opted for a single alteration after the defeat to VfL Bochum. András Schäfer came in for Sheraldo Becker.
Steffen Baumgart made five changes to the side that started the defeat against SC Freiburg. Benno Schmitz, Jeff Chabot, Florian Kainz, Dejan Ljubicic and Luca Waldschmidt were replaced by Rasmus Carstensen, Dominique Heintz, Denis Huseinbasic, Linton Maina and Mark Uth.
Level at the break
The game began, once more, with a protest from both sets of fans in regards to the planned investor acquisition from the DFL. On the pitch, before the fans joined in, it was intense as expected. Both sides were doing their best to get forward, with the final pass and touch lacking.
That changed in the 30th minute, with Jan Thielmann’s cross just evading the stretched Davie Selke. Denis Huseinbasic was then denied by Frederik Rönnow with a close-range poked effort. The Danish stopper was on hand to keep out Huseinbasic once more, as well as Jan Thielmann’s follow up. Marvin Schwäbe denied András Schäfer in an Union counter immediately after Thielmann’s effort.
Union efficient in the second-half
FC began the second period as they ended the first. Davie Selke’s near-post header was well-saved by Rönnow, with Linton Maina’s follow-up bravely blocked. It looked like FC were building up the necessary head of steam, only for Union to take the lead. The hosts managed to work their way out on the left-hand side, with Benedict Hollerbach hammering home at the near post.
Union were then on top and were thwarted several times by Marvin Schwäbe, with Fofana and Hollerbach both drawing good saves from the FC stopper. However, Schwäbe was powerless to stop Fofana from drilling into the roof of the net from 10 yards to secure the three points for the home side.
FC head into the Winter Break in 17th place following the defeat. Steffen Baumgart’s side are next in action on Saturday 13th January 2024 at home to 1. FC Heidenheim. Kick-off in the RheinEnergieSTADION is at 15:30 CET.
Line-ups
1. FC Union Berlin (4-1-4-1): Rönnow – Juranovic, Knoche, Diogo Leite, Roussillon (Trimmel 62‘) – Khedira – Volland, Haberer (Bonucci 68‘), Schäfer (Aaronson 85’), Hollerbach (Král 62‘) – Behrens (Fofana 46‘).
1. FC Köln (4-1-3-2): Schwäbe – Carstensen, Hübers, Heintz, Finkgräfe (Schmitz 80‘) – Martel (Kainz 74‘) – Thielmann (Ljubicic 60‘), Huseinbasic, Maina – Uth (Waldschmidt 74‘), Selke (Dietz 74‘).
Goals: 1:0, Hollerbach 56’. 2:0, Fofana 78’.
Referee: Deniz Aytekin (Oberasbach).
Booked: None.
Attendance: 22,102 (sold-out).
