1. FC Köln fell to a 3:1 defeat against 1. FC Heidenheim in the final home game of the season. Despite Marius Bülter canceling out Jan Schöppner’s early opener, goals from Arijon Ibrahimovic and Schöppner’s second meant the visitors came away with all three points.
Team news
René Wagner made three changes to the side that started the 2:2 draw against 1. FC Union Berlin last weekend. Joël Schmied, Ísak Jóhannesson and Linton Maina replaced Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, Eric Martel and Luca Waldschmidt.
Frank Schmidt opted for two alterations to the team that began the dramatic draw against FC Bayern München. Frank Feller and Omar Traoré came in for Diant Ramaj and Marnon Busch.
Behind at the break
Despite a promising start, FC fell behind in the eighth minute. Ísak Jóhannesson failed to latch onto Cenk Özkacar’s pass and let the ball slip into Heidenheim’s possession. Arijon Ibrahimovic crossed from the left and Jan Schöppner raced in a the near post to give the hosts the lead.
However, that disappointment would only last two minutes. After Frank Feller denied him moments before with a fine save, Marius Bülter dusted himself off and restored parity in the 10th minute. Tom Krauß’s pass was perfectly timed into his path, and Bülter thundered the ball into the near top corner for his second goal in as many games.
FC were relatively in control where major moments of concern for either side were few and far between. Said El Mala almost got on the end of a Jakub Kamiński cross, whilst Cenk had to marshall Budu Zivzivadze into skewing a snapshot wide.
In the 28th minute, Heidenheim struck again. Eren Dinkci was allowed time and space to move into the FC box and, despite Jóhannesson making an important intervention, Ibrahimovic was on hand to power home with Kristoffer Lund’s desperate attempts to clear off the line in vain.
Schöppner seals it
The second-half saw little in the way of change in the flow of the game. Jan Schöppner had a great chance to add to his tally, only to blaze over from Ibrahimovic’s cutback. In the 73rd minute, the managed to turn the game in Heidenheim’s favour. Dinkci was the provider, firing in a low cross and an unmarked Schöppner was able to turn home.
FC tried to force Heidenheim’s hand late on but failed to find a way past a stubborn defence and a flying Frank Feller, who brilliantly kept out Marius Bülter’s header. After the match, Luca Kilian, Dominique Heintz and Florian Kainz were bid a fitting farewell as all three announced their departure from FC. Kainz has ended his professional career.
FC were safe before the game started and travel to already-crowned Bundesliga Champions, FC Bayern München. Kick-off for our final fixture oft he 2025-26 season at the Allianz Arena is at 15:30 CEST on Saturday, 16th May.
Line-ups
1. FC Köln (4-3-3): Schwäbe – Sebulonsen, Schmied (Castro-Montes 72‘), Cenk (Heintz 89‘), Lund (Niang 89‘) – Jóhannesson, Krauß (Waldschmidt 59‘), Kamiński – Maina (Kainz 72‘), Bülter, El Mala.
1. FC Heidenheim (3-3-2-2): Feller – Schöppner, Mainka, Föhrenbach – Traoré (Stergiou 77‘), Dorsch, Behrens – Dinkci (Kerber 84‘), Ibrahmiovic (Conteh 77‘) – Pieringer (Schimmer 89‘), Zivzivadze (Honsak 84‘).
Goals: 0:1, Schöppner 8‘. 1:1, Bülter 10‘. 1:2, Ibrahimovic 28‘. 1:3, Schöppner 72‘.
Referee: Sven Jablonski (Bremen).
Booked: Dinkci (30‘), Zivzivadze (37‘), El Mala (55‘), Jóhannesson (89‘).
Attendance: 50,000 (sold-out).