1. FC Köln suffered a belly flop on their return to Europe in the first leg of the Europa Conference League playoffs. After an early lead, the Domstadt team lost 2-1 to Fehervar FC from Hungary on Thursday evening. All video highlights of the game can be found here.
The sticking point of the game was an early red card against Cologne defender Julian Chabot (20′), who did his team a disservice after Florian Dietz’s early lead (14′). The Hungarians turned the game around in the remaining 25 minutes of the first half. Former Hertha professional Pálko Dárdai equalized in the 40th minute for Hungary, coached by German coach Michael Boris.
In a week, the Cologne team have the chance to turn the bitter result of the home game away in order to make it into the group stage of the Europa Conference League and give their fans a 2022/23 season on the big European stage. The game will be broadcast LIVE on RTL+ on Thursday 25 August.
The video highlights of 1. FC Köln vs. Fehervar FC:
90+2: Hübers heads a free kick from the right half-field just past the goal to the left.
82nd: Zivzivadze leaves Hector on the right flank and shoots from a tight angle, but his attempt clearly goes wide of Schwäbe’s goal.
77th: Baumgart uses his remaining offensive options and brings in Adamyan, Olesen and Tigges.
70: Maina again! Hector dribbles hard through the center and puts the joker through to the left into the box. Maina takes a shot from eight yards out to the short corner, but fails at keeper Kovács and the post! Bad luck for the people of Cologne.
62nd: The Joker causes danger! The moved up Hector plays flat from the left to the near post, where Maina runs in, but just misses.
49 .: Good chance for Cologne! Hector heads a Kainz corner from the left at the near post just over the goal.
47th: Yellow card for Steffen Baumgart (1. FC Cologne)
The Cologne coach is upset about an offside decision against his team and is cautioned.
45th: Halftime!
Break in Cologne – and after 45 minutes Effzeh is 2-1 behind Fehérvár! The game started very well from the point of view of the Domstädter. Cologne acted with pressure and took the lead through Dietz after 14 minutes. However, the turning point in the game followed just six minutes later: Chabot was sent off with a red card due to an emergency brake. After that, the hosts completely lost the thread and had to concede two goals from Zivzivadze (32nd) and Dárdai (40th). The billy goats should now take a break. Baumgart has to find the right words in the dressing room. See you soon!
40. Tooor for Fehérvár FC, 1-2 by Pal Dárdai
Unbelievable, Fehérvár turns the game! Zivzivadze can simply open up in the center and run towards the Cologne defence. Hübers moves out of the center and thus clears the way for the plug-in pass in the direction of Dárdai. The ex-Hertha player hits the ball from a tight angle from the left into the short corner! Schwäbe is caught on the wrong foot.
32. Tooor for Fehérvár FC, 1-1 by Budu Zivzivadze
But shortly afterwards, Fehérvár equalises! Négo is played in the right half field and can cross into the center without pressure. His sharp cross flies sharply into the six-yard box, where Zivzivadze prevails against Hübers and uses the bottom edge of the crossbar to head powerfully into the net!
31st: The big chance to 1:1! Bamgboye is sent into the box with a chip behind the Cologne back four and emerges alone in front of Schwäbe. From eleven meters he puts the ball just under a meter to the left of the goal.
20 Red card for Julian Chabot (1. FC Cologne)
Shortly after the hit, the Domstädter are outnumbered! Dárdai runs towards the last chain of the Cologne team and pokes the ball past Chabot, who is the last man to bring down the midfielder. Referee Martins pulls out red immediately. A reasonable decision.
14 .: Tooor for 1. FC Köln, 1-0 by Florian Dietz
The early lead for the Effzeh! Ljubicic switched quickly at the center line and played the ball with a touch down Dietz’s path, who held his own in the running duel and ran towards Kovács alone. Alone in front of the keeper, Cologne’s attacker stays cool and hits the right corner to make it 1-0!
11th: Cologne has the first good chance! Thielmann crosses from the right to the near post where Ljubicic runs in, but doesn’t fully catch the ball. The ball goes wide.
4th: Cologne put pressure on from the start and pushed the guests into their own half.
Pure goosebumps! 1. FC Köln is back in Europe…
The Effzeh players enter the pitch to warm up…
preliminary report:
Welcome to the playoffs of the Europa Conference League! At 8:30 p.m., 1. FC Köln host Hungarian club Fehérvár FC for the first leg at the Rhein-Energie-Stadion.
After about five years, 1. FC Köln is celebrating its comeback in international business today! More than 40,000 fans are expected tonight to support the team as they battle for a place in the group stage. The anticipation of the performances on the international stage is huge in the area. The successful start to the season in the Bundesliga with four points from two games does the rest. “We want to get into the group stage because I think we can. I think we’re the favorites and we should accept this role and show it on the pitch,” said FC coach Steffen Baumgart in advance.
Fehérvár FC is number two in Hungary behind record champions Ferencvaros, against whom they recently lost 4-0. The start of the season was a bit bumpy overall. After three games you only have three points in your account. The Hungarians will also be the underdog in the playoffs against 1. FC Köln. Above all, the big crowd in Müngersdorf could impress the players, as the German coach Michael Boris admits: “It’s going to be hot, loud and difficult. But my players should also enjoy this atmosphere.”
There are three changes in Cologne’s starting XI compared to the game against Leipzig. Chabot, Schmitz and Pedersen will start instead of Kilian, Ehizibue and Martel.
Coach Boris initially uses a defensive 5-4-1 system for the guests. With Pal Dárdai (Hertha BSC), a former Bundesliga player is also in the starting XI.
The game will be officiated by Portuguese referee Tiago Lopes Martins. He will be assisted by Luis Campos and Hugo Pires Ribeiro. There is no VAR in the Conference League until the semi-finals.
The line-up of 1. FC Köln:
Schwäbe – Pedersen, Hübers, Chabot, Schmitz – Hector, Skhiri, Ljubicic, Kainz, Thielmann – Dietz
1. FC Köln vs. Fehérvár FC is shown live on TV here
- The playoff first leg in Cologne-Müngersdorf will be broadcast live by RTL broadcast on free TV: Pre-reporting begins at 8:15 p.m.
- The game will also be shown live on RTL+’s paid streaming service.
He provides all important information about the two duels with Fehérvár FC from Hungary here.
For the first time in five years, 1. FC Köln has the opportunity to move into a European cup competition. However, the Domstadt team still need to get rid of Hungary’s Fehérvár FC on their way to the group stage of the UEFA Europa Conference League.
The club finished fourth in Hungary last season and are looking to surprise the Cologne side with Palko Dárdai, son of long-time Bundesliga player and coach Pál Dárdai.
The outsider from Hungary is trained by the German head coach Michael Boris, who has only worked as a coach in Germany in the lower leagues so far.
The second leg, which will then decide whether they enter the group stage of the Conference League, will take place a week later on August 25 at Fehérvár FC.
Should the Effzeh qualify for the group stage, prominent opponents such as FC Villarreal from Spain, West Ham United from England or AC Florenz from Italy will probably be waiting for the only representative from the Bundesliga.