2. Bundesliga - 25. Matchday

1. FC Köln battled to a late win against SSV Ulm on Saturday afternoon at the Donaustadion. Luca Waldschmidt swept home the winner in the 86^th minute after good work from Jan Thielmann and Max Finkgräfe.

Team news

Thomas Wörle opted for three changes after the draw against Braunschweig last weekend. Niklas Kolbe, Lennart Stoll and Semir Telalovic came in for Tom Gaal, Aaron Keller and Maurice Krattenmacher.

Gerhard Struber made five changes to the side that started against Karlsruher SC last time out. Dominique Heintz, Eric Martel, Dejan Ljubičić, Linton Maina and Damion Downs were replaced by Mathias Olesen, Denis Huseinbašić, Jan Thielmann, Luca Waldschmidt and Steffen Tigges.

Level at the break

The first-half almost got off to the worst possible start for FC and Timo Hübers. After a mistake at the back, the hosts went on the counter. After Joël Schmied held the attack up, it was an heroic effort from Mathias Olesen to block three massive Ulm chances from close range.

Despite the early scare, FC dominated the first-half. Florian Kainz skewed wide on the volley after a good cross by Jusuf Gazibegović. The main threat to the Ulm goal came through Luca Waldschmidt. He headed inches wide from a Florian Kainz delivery, before powering a shot past the near post soon after. However, despite FC being the more dominant side, they had nothing to show for it.

Waldschmidt wins it late on

The second-half saw a role reversal of shorts, with Ulm coming out of the break the stronger side. Oliver Batista Meier moved inside well and, with Marvin Schwäbe beaten, struck the base of the near post. Lukas Röser stung Schwäbe’s palms not long later, before Semir Telalovic fired over one-on-one with Ulm’s best chance of the match.

Despite that, FC continued to defend and with the most dangerous attack of the half, Luca Waldschmidt made it count. After good play involving Max Finkgräfe and Jan Thielmann, the latter picked out Waldschmidt’s run on the edge of the box and he swept home from 16 yards to the delight of the players, staff and travelling fans.

FC rise to the top of the 2. Bundesliga for Saturday afternoon at least. Gerhard Struber’s side are next in action on Saturday, 15^th March against SV Darmstadt 98. Kick-off at the RheinEnergieSTADION is at 20:30 CET.

Line-ups

SSV Ulm (3-3-2-2): Ortag – Allgeier, Reichert, Kolbe – Stoll (Geyer 70‘), Hyryläinen, Rösch (Keller 63‘) – Batista Meier (Kahvic 89‘), Brandt (Dressel 89‘) – Röser (Krattenmacher 63‘), Telalovic.

1. FC Köln (4-2-3-1): Schwäbe – Gazibegović, Schmied (Heintz 81‘), Hübers, Finkgräfe (Paçarada 90+2‘) – Olesen, Huseinbašić (Ljubičić 62‘) – Thielmann, Waldschmidt, Kainz – Tigges.

Goals: 0:1, Waldschmidt 86’.

Referee: Dr. Max Burda (Berlin).

Booked: Thielmann (53’).

Attendance: 17,400 (sold-out).