Team news
Markus Weinzierl opted for an unchanged starting side from that which won against VfL Bochum last weekend.
Steffen Baumgart made just one change to the team that beat Arminia Bielefeld at home last time out. Jan Thielmann replaced the suspended Salih Özcan.
Thielmann and Uth at the double
After an early scare as Ruben Vargas went close, FC took the game by the scruff of the neck and went ahead in the 12th minute. Benno Schmitz found space on the right-hand side and pickled out Jan Thielmann in the middle, who swept home with aplomb into the far bottom corner. Three minutes later, it got even better. Schmitz’s throw-in was nodded down by Thielmann and Mark Uth made no mistake by matching Thielmann’s finish and sending the away end into raptures.
FC’s free-flowing football was causing Augsburg all sorts of problems. Anthony Modeste heading Florian Kainz’s perfectly-flighted free-kick narrowly wide and was denied by Rafal Gikiewicz moments later. The rebound fell to Uth, yet his chip fell into the grateful Gikiewicz’s arms. Augsburg best chances fell to Michael Gregoritsch and Iago, yet both were unable to find the target.
Modeste brace brings FC over the line
The second-half began with Augsburg pressing for a way back into the game. The hosts were trying to find a way through but it was FC who had the better chances. Jan Thielmann burst through but elected to pass instead of shoot from a promising position. It mattered little, however, as Anthony Modeste was brought down inside the box. The Frenchman dusted himself down and sent Gikiewicz the wrong way to extend the lead.
Augsburg did pull a goal back after Arne Maier’s precise pass picked out Florian Niederlechner and he managed to bundle the ball past the oncoming Marvin Schwäbe. Any hopes of a comeback were quickly snuffed out. Four minutes later, Tim Lemperle, Mark Uth and Modeste combined for the Frenchman to clinically pick out the top corner to make it 4:1 and seal the win.
FC are next in action on Saturday afternoon against VfL Wolfsburg with kick-off at the RheinEnergieSTADION at 15:30 CEST.
Line-ups
FC Augsburg (4-4-2): Gikiewicz – Gumny (Framberger 80’), Oxford, Gouweleeuw, Iago – Caligiuri (Finnbogason 80’), Dorsch, Gruezo (Maier 61’), Vargas – Hahn (Niederlechner 61’), Gregoritsch.
1. FC Köln (4-1-3-2): Schwäbe – Schmitz, Kilian (Chabot 84‘), Hübers, Hector – Skhiri – Ljubicic, Uth (Olesen 84‘), Kainz (Schaub 71’) – Modeste (Schindler 90+1‘), Thielmann (Lemperle 71’).
Goals: 0:1, Thielmann 12‘. 0:2, Uth 15‘. 0:3, Modeste PEN 63‘. 1:3, Niederlechner 73‘. 1:4, Modeste 77‘.
Referee: Robert Schröder (Hannover).
Booked: Greuzo (42’), Thielmann (53’), Kainz (60’), Oxford (69’), Hübers (75’), Kilian (80’).
Attendance: 29,511.