The guests were more determined in the game going forward and deservedly took the lead after just under fifteen minutes. Jonathan Burkardt initiated the attack himself, got the ball back from Anton Stach and aimed at the left corner of the goal from the right corner of the penalty area. But then the Mainz loanee Luca Kilian rushed in and deflected the ball into the right corner for Marvin Schwäbe (14′).
Cologne didn’t have much to offer offensively. Only a nice individual action by Ondrej Duda, who left two players from Mainz with a body fake and then finished, caused a little positive mood in the stands. His conclusion from 18 meters was then too central (20th).
Mainz, on the other hand, repeatedly countered dangerously. Karim Onisiwo passed the ball on the left to Jean-Paul Boëtius, who tested Schwäbe from a tight angle (26′).
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Cologne was only able to stage Anthony Modeste shortly before half-time. After a cross from Jannes Horn, however, the top striker headed wide to the right from five yards (39′).
The guests also got off to a better start in the second round. After a high pass from Dominik Kohr, Karim Onisiwo simply ran away from Julian Chabot and cheekily scored a half-right shot past Schwäbe from a relatively acute angle from six yards out (55′).
This time, however, Cologne had an immediate answer. Modeste headed a corner by Mark Uth from the left to the right post, where Ellyes Skhiri was able to nod the ball in from close range (60′).
Cologne now wanted more, while Mainz became more and more passive. So the Cologne equalizer was not undeserved. Uth followed up in the Mainz penalty area and involuntarily put something on for substitute Dejan Ljubicic, who threw the ball half-right from 14 meters past Robin Zentner and into the goal (78th).
And that’s not all: Just a few minutes later, Cologne turned the game around. At a corner, Zentner parried a header from Salih Özcan, but the rebound was pushed over the line by Luca Kilian, who was unlucky in the first half (82′).
In added time, Mainz actually had another great chance to equalize. After Schwäbe’s fist defense was too short, substitute Marcus Ingvartsen had a clear path – but shot the ball too quickly (90+2). So the 3-2 win for Cologne remained, which Mainz is further ahead of in the table.
The voices:
Martin Schmidt (Sports Director 1. FSV Mainz 05): “It was a very good game from us up to the 60th minute. Then you were too sure, the opponent was actually flat. Then this Modeste goal came out of nowhere and suddenly Cologne are back. I also thought that the Triple change from Cologne brought a lot with Özcan, Ljubicic and Schaub.”
Anton Stach (1.FSV Mainz 05): “I think the turning point was definitely the goal. Of course they have the fans behind them. We maybe did a little less. We also had three away games in six days. Cologne were just that step faster in crucial situations . If we’re 2.0 ahead away from home, we simply can’t lose 3-2.”
Dejan Ljubicic (1st FC Cologne): “Huge compliments to the team. It’s unbelievable how we got back there. I think that’s what made us stand out throughout the season, that we never give up and always look ahead.”
The tweet about the game:
Steffen Baumgart did everything right with his triple substitution in the 58th minute.
That was noticeable: Luca Kilian of all people
Defender Luca Kilian switched from SC Paderborn to Mainz 05 in 2020, but was loaned out to Cologne just a year later after just seven Bundesliga appearances. There the central defender developed under his sponsor Steffen Baumgart, who still knows him from SC Paderborn, to become a regular in central defence. Against his actual employer, Kilian now experienced an emotional roller coaster ride. In the first half he was instrumental in the 1-0 win over Mainz when he deflected a shot from Jonathan Burkardt decisively into his own goal. In the second half, the 22-year-old became a hero when he scored the acclaimed 3-2 winner just before the final whistle.
The stats: 15
1. FC Köln have already scored 15 goals in the final quarter of an hour – this mental quality was also proven once again against Mainz 05.
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