Holstein Kiel, the Bundesliga newcomer who has yet to win a game in the league, has been knocked out of the DFB-Pokal early, giving the struggling 2nd division team 1. FC Köln a much-needed victory. After a 3-0 (1-0) win in the second round of the cup against the North Germans, the relegated team is in the round of 16 of the cup for the first time in three years. Thanks to goals from Tim Lemperle (8th minute) and substitute Luca Waldschmidt (84th/90+7), coach Gerhard Struber can finally breathe a sigh of relief.
For Kiel, the bitter season continues. Coach Marcel Rapp’s team now urgently needs a win against 1. FC Heidenheim in the league on Saturday. Köln can take another step out of their crisis on Saturday evening against Hertha BSC. Köln Impressive Again – Kiel Lacks Bite From the start, Köln showed a strong performance, reminiscent of their time in the league before relegation. The uncertainty and poor performances from the recent games against Darmstadt (1-5) and Paderborn (1-2) were nowhere to be seen on Tuesday.
Against the Bundesliga newcomer, who also hasn’t won a game yet, Köln dominated the game and played with pressure. The lead came quickly with Lemperle’s header, where the Holstein defense did not look top-notch. Changes in the Köln Goal In the first half, Kiel fought back, but most of their chances were stopped by Köln’s goalkeeper Marvin Schwäbe. The 29-year-old returned to the goal for the cup game. The new number one, Jonas Urbig, was on the bench on Tuesday.
The change in goal was not the only adjustment Struber made. The Austrian also switched from a back four to a back three for the game, which seemed to work better for his team, as they didn’t allow many chances for the visitors. Linton Maina missed a big chance to make it 2-0 just before halftime.
After recent setbacks in the league, there was a lot of tension surrounding Köln. Especially sports director Christian Keller has been heavily criticized. However, at halftime, there was finally some applause and celebration for the players. Rapp’s Changes Have No Effect Kiel, on the other hand, struggled to get into the game even after the break. Coach Rapp, who made three changes compared to the 1-2 loss against Stuttgart, tried three more substitutions at halftime and shortly after, but they had little effect.
Former Bayern Munich player Jann-Fiete Arp, for example, didn’t make much of an impact. About ten minutes before the end, Shuto Machino hit the crossbar with a header – that was all Kiel could muster. Shortly after, Waldschmidt sealed the deal for Köln.
