With fighting spirit and passion, 1. FC Kaiserslautern, in typical Betzenberg style, ensured 1. FC Köln’s next depressing defeat.
The sixth-place team in the second division won the atmospheric traditional duel with the Bundesliga penultimate in the DFB Cup 3-2 (1-0), thereby significantly aggravating the FC crisis. FCK is in the round of 16 for the first time in four years.
Richmond Tachie (19th), Kenny Prince Redondo (47th) and Marlon Ritter (65th) scored for the Palatinate team, who secured the bonus of 862,400 euros for advancing. The misery of Cologne, who have only won one game in the league and suffered a loss at RB Leipzig on Saturday (0:6), continues.
The late goals from Florian Kainz (71st) and Mark Uth (81st) didn’t change that, especially since Cologne ended the game with ten men: Captain Kainz was shown red in the 84th minute for serious foul play. Five minutes earlier, Eric Martel, who had already been substituted, had received a yellow-red card for unsportsmanlike conduct.
“We know what’s coming. For us it’s important to embrace the atmosphere,” said FC coach Steffen Baumgart shortly before the 100th meeting between the two clubs on ZDF. FCK managing director Thomas Hengen was looking forward to a “very special” game on the birthday of Fritz Walter, who would have turned 103 on Tuesday.
In front of 49,327 spectators at the sold-out Betzenberg, Lauterer defensive player Boris Tomiak fired the first “warning shot” towards the Cologne goal in the 4th minute. Timo Hübers caused even more danger on the other side with a header from a corner (5th).
After that, as expected, fight was king. There was no discernible difference in class; the hosts actually had more of the game. The lead for the Red Devils through Tachie, whose shot was deflected by Hübers past FC goalkeeper Marvin Schwäbe, was not undeserved.
Cologne were only briefly shocked and pushed Lauterer onto the defensive in the middle of the first half. However, FC were unable to create any real chances to score. The guests acted too statically and the uncertainty was noticeable.
Right at the start of the second half, Redondo shocked Cologne. As with the first goal, the outstanding knight did the preparatory work. Shortly afterwards, the Rhinelanders were unlucky, Linton Maina only hit the crossbar (50). In the 57th minute, Baumgart intervened in personnel and brought in offensive power Uth for the weak Ljubicic.
Four minutes later, Luca Waldschmidt missed a great opportunity to connect. After that, the Lauterers wobbled. An FC goal was in the air, but instead Ritter crowned his performance with a free-kick goal. Kainz brought tension back into the game. Waldschmidt was ready to score the next goal for the guests (75′), which Uth then scored with a header and ensured the hot final minutes.