1. FC Köln has now lost three competitive games in a row in the Bundesliga and the Conference League. Coach Baumgart sees a “difficult phase” and gives reasons for it.
Three bankruptcies, plus a goal difference in these games of 2:8. The otherwise stormy and quite effective 1. FC Cologne under trainer Steffen Baumgart is struggling with jamming. First in the Conference League first leg against Partizan Belgrade (0:1), then in the Bundesliga in the Rhenish derby against Borussia Mönchengladbach (2:5) and now again against the Serbs (0:2).
So the coach’s verdict after the third competitive defeat within a week: “It’s a difficult phase for us at the moment. We have to make sure that we keep a clear head.”
Few chances and lack of exploitation
After all, Baumgart does not have to try to guess where exactly to tackle in this “difficult phase”. He knows what’s wrong, although he rather paraphrased it. “We had a lot of what is actually enough to score a goal. But we’re not doing it at the moment,” explained the 50-year-old. “We’ll have to force it more.”
Baumgart’s paraphrase was aimed at the inadequate exploitation of chances, with Cologne, which was largely unimaginative, not playing out too many opportunities at all. If there were promising advances, precision was often lacking in the last third.
Goalscorer Dejan Ljubicic is particularly missing
On this dreary Thursday evening for everyone in Cologne, although the returnees Benno Schmitz, Ellyes Skhiri and Jonas Hector in particular took control of the game at first, Dejan Ljubicic was sorely missed up front.
The Austrian top scorer for Cologne (six goals in 15 competitive games) was injured in the derby against Borussia Mönchengladbach and will probably be out for about three months.
Kainz criticizes the lack of rip-off
Despite the returnees, some players are still missing in this exhausting season with a double burden. For example, Julian Chabot, Mathias Olesen, Tim Lemperle and Jan Thielmann are still injured. Weakened replacements “do a lot to ensure that the opponent has it easy. That’s a bit what’s thrown us back in the past few games,” said Baumgart.
And Florian Kainz said: “The situation isn’t easy when we’re missing a few players. Partizan are a ripped-off team, maybe we’re missing that a bit.”
Endangered overwintering in Europe, but still possible
In Group D, Cologne are now in third place, one point behind OGC Nice. “Our goal now has to be to win the next two games. We’ll do everything we can to achieve that,” said Baumgart.
Augsburg are unbeaten in Cologne for seven games
Before the Conference League is about the saving straw for Cologne to spend the winter on the European stage, everyday life in the league is on the agenda again.
On match day 10 of the Bundesliga, Cologne will host FC Augsburg (Sunday, 3:30 p.m.). It is the duel of the table ninth against the -tenth, both have 13 points. FCA is not only the team with the best points in the last four games, but also a feared opponent for Cologne: Augsburg have been unbeaten in Müngersdorf for seven games.
