1. FC Köln are through to the last 16 of the DFB-Pokal thanks to a 3:0 win against Holstein Kiel. Tim Lemperle opened the scoring before a late Luca Waldschmidt brace.
Team news
Gerhard Struber made two changes to the side that started against Paderborn on Friday evening. Marvin Schwäbe and Dominique Heintz replaced Jonas Urbig and Luca Waldschmidt.
Marcel Rapp opted for three alterations following the narrow defeat to Stuttgart the weekend. Steven Skrzybski, Shuto Machino and Phil Harres replaced Magnus Knudsen, Benedikt Pichler and Jann-Fiete Arp.
Ahead at the break
The game began as FC had wanted. In the eighth minute, the energic start was rewarded. Linton Maina was played in by Dominique Heintz, and he teed up Leart Pacarada to cross for Tim Lemperle. He rose highest against Max Geschwill in the middle and powered a header into the bottom corner.
The remainder of the first-half provided little in the way of chances for both sides. Some more good work from Maina and Lemperle led to the former bursting through on goal. He dropped his shoulder and his opponent to the floor but failed to find a way past Timon Weiner, who stood tall to deny Maina from close range.
Waldschmidt at the double
The second-half started as the first period ended. Kiel enjoyed large parts of possession but failed to find a way through. Aside from a Tim Lemperle effort, there was little of note at both ends. Kiel went close through Shuto Machino, as the Japanese forward cracked the crossbar from a corner.
FC went on to decide the game late on, as a wonderful team move provided the second goal. Lemperle moved down the left before finding Denis Huseinbasic with a clever pass. He laid off to Maina, who in turn picked out Luca Waldschmidt. He set himself before curling into the top corner beautifully from the edge of the area.
Things got better in the 97th minute as Linton Maina and Jan Thielmann led a 90-yard breakaway that saw the latter play across the face of goal for Waldschmidt to force over the line. As the ball found the back of the net, Bastian Dankert signalled the end of the match and Müngersdorf was able to celebrate.
FC are back in action on Saturday evening against Hertha BSC. Kick-off in the Olympiastadion is at 20:30 CEST.
Line-ups
1. FC Köln (3-4-1-2): Schwäbe – Pauli, Hübers, Heintz – Thielmann, Martel, Huseinbasic (Olesen 90+3‘), Pacarada – Ljubicic (Waldschmidt 77‘) – Lemperle (Obuz 90‘), Maina.
Holstein Kiel (3-4-1-2): Weiner – Ivezic, Geschwill, Erras (Rosenboom 46‘) – Becker (Puchacz 71‘), Gigovic, Schulz (Knudsen 61‘), Porath – Skrzybski (Arp 61‘) – Machino, Harres.
Goals: 1:0, Lemperle 8‘. 2:0, Waldschmidt 84‘. 3:0, Waldschmidt 90+7‘.
Referee: Bastian Dankert (Rostock).
Booked: Gigovic (37’), Huseinbasic (44’), Porath (52’), Machino (75’), Rapp (76’), Arp (79’), Lemperle (89’), Pacarada (90+4’).
Attendance: 49,000.
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