2. Bundesliga - 2. Matchday

1. FC Köln rescued a point late on against SV Elvserberg on Saturday afternoon at the URSAPHARM-Arena. Denis Huseinbasic had given FC the lead at the break before Fisnik Asllani and Frederik Schmahl scored for the hosts after coming off the bench. Timo Hübers was still able to level late on, heading home from Leart Pacarada’s corner.

Team news

Horst Steffen opted for just one change after the draw against 1. FC Magdeburg. Frederik Schmahl dropped to the bench for Filimon Gerezgiher.

Gerhard Struber made two alterations from the side that started against Hamburger SV last weekend. Dominique Heintz and Linton Maina replaced Julian Pauli and Luca Waldschmidt.

Ahead at the break

1. FC Köln started the game with real purpose. Tim Lemperle scuffed his lines 10 yards from goal and Damion Downs failed to push the ball over the line from Linton Maina’s resulting cross in the first five minutes. Maina was denied by a superb save from Nicolas Kristof after some tidy play down the right-hand side.

After 22 minutes, the goal finally arrived. Dejan Ljubicic fed Eric Martel into the right channel. He cleverly cutback for Lemperle, who kept his cool to extend the play to Denis Huseinbasic with a wonderful backheel. Huseinbasic produced an equally impressive finish, picking out the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

Timo Hübers and Lemperle were denied late on in the first-half, as Hübers’ header was cleared off the line before Lemperle’s resulting effort was well-saved by the impressive Kristof. Elversberg did issue a warning in added time, with Luca Schnellbacher’s curling effort drifting just wide of the near post.

Hübers levels late on

Elversberg made two changes at the break and both bore fruit. In the first minute of the second-half, Robin Fellhauer kept his cool in front of goal and slid across for Fisnik Asllani, who confidently fired home following his introduction seconds earlier.

Leart Pacarada made a brilliant block to deny Manuel Feil not long after. Damion Downs then had the chance to give FC the lead after excellent work from Denis Huseinbasic, only for Kristof to again spoil the party. Three minutes later in the 62^nd minute, FC were made to pay. This time it was Asllani who turned provider, slipping across for Schmahl to fire home from two yards out.

FC battled to find a way back into the game and finally found an answer in the 84^th minute. Timo Hübers rose highest to meet Leart Pacarada’s corner, nodding inside the far post’s side netting to restore parity and earn a share of the spoils.

Struber’s side are next in action on Sunday, 18^th August at 15:30 CEST. The first round of the DFB-Pokal gets underway, with FC taking on SV Sandhausen.

Line-ups

SV Elversberg (4-3-1-2): Kristof – Baum, Pinckert, Le Joncour, Neubauer – Gerezgiher (Mahmoud 79’), Fellhauer, Sahin – Stock (Schmahl 46’) – Feil (Sickinger 85’), Schnellbacher (Asllani 46’).

1. FC Köln (4-3-1-2): Urbig – Thielmann, Hübers, Heintz (Pauli 77’), Pacarada – Ljubicic, Martel, Huseinbasic – Maina (Dietz 77’) – Lemperle (Tigges 77’), Downs (Uth 66’, Waldschmidt 71’).

Goals: 0:1, Huseinbasic 22’. 1:1, Asllani 46’. 2:1, Schmahl 62’. 2:2, Hübers 84’.

Referee: Tom Bauer (Mainz).

Booked: Feil (29’), Martel (45+4’), Gerezgiher (47’), Thielmann (60’), Asllani (67’).

Attendance: 9,502 (sold-out).