Bundesliga club 1. FC Köln started the new year with a clear win – but without new signing Davie Selke.
Coach Steffen Baumgart’s team won the friendly against second-division side Hamburger SV 4-0 (2-0) on Saturday, the game at the Franz Kremer Stadium in Cologne’s Geißbockheim was played over four times 30 minutes.
Center forward Selke, who came from Hertha BSC in the winter, was supposed to make his FC debut in the starting XI, but felt muscular problems when warming up. As a precaution, Baumgart decided not to use the 27-year-old.
Denis Huseinbasic (48th/50th) scored twice for FC, Justin Diehl (88th) from the Cologne U19 and Kingsley Schindler (119th) followed up. Cologne will play their first Bundesliga game after the winter break against Werder Bremen (January 21). Promotion candidate HSV continues in the second division on January 29 against Eintracht Braunschweig.