With Anthony Modeste and Salih Özcan, 1. FC Köln lost two key players to Borussia Dortmund in the summer. So far, Effzeh has been able to absorb the duo’s departure – but it is doubtful whether this feat will succeed in the long term.
BVB’s 1-0 win over Hertha BSC on match day 4 of the Bundesliga may not have appealed to most fans of 1. FC Köln.
After leaving Cologne, Anthony Modeste not only met for the first time in the black and yellow jersey. Ironically, Salih Özcan prepared the striker’s goal. Particularly bitter for the Effzeh fans: With Marius Wolf, another former Cologne player was involved in the winning goal.
After his first goal, Modeste also thanked his ex-coach Steffen Baumgart: “I think many players have read what my ex-coach said. If the team doesn’t play for the striker, it will be difficult.”
Baumgart had previously teased Modeste, saying that “what distinguished Tony last year” was the team in the background. You can see right now, “if a team doesn’t act like that, then maybe you don’t score as many goals as before”.
1. FC Köln spread responsibility over several shoulders
Modeste was an absolute goal guarantor for 1. FC Köln last season. The Frenchman netted 20 times and was thus involved in almost 50 percent of all Bundesliga goals for Cologne.
The Domstadtklub could no longer commit an equal replacement due to Modeste’s short-term change. So far, however, Cologne hasn’t found it difficult to score goals.
In the current Bundesliga season, there are already ten goals after five games. Only FC Bayern (17), 1. FC Union Berlin (12), Werder Bremen (12) and Eintracht Frankfurt (11) scored more often.
It is particularly striking that the responsibility for scoring goals is spread over several shoulders. With Florian Kainz (2), Dejan Ljubicic (2) and newcomer Florian Dietz (1), three players have scored half of all goals in Cologne. Together, the trio also gets almost 40 percent of all shots on goal.
Kainz plays big at 1. FC Köln
Kainz in particular is taking on more responsibility this season and enlivening the attacking game as a creative head from Cologne. While the Austrian scored four goals and seven assists last season, Kainz already has two goals and three assists.
The 29-year-old is the third-best assist provider in the Bundesliga. Kainz also has ten shots on goal and 13 assists, which means fourth place among all players in the German upper house.
“We always knew what Kainzi could do. It’s absolutely gratifying that he’s delivering it so consistently,” praised Thomas Kessler, head of the licensing area.
Hector leads as a duel
1. FC Köln have also been able to compensate well for the departure of Salih Özcan so far. The defensive midfielder was the undisputed top performer last season and also went ahead as a gruff leader who doesn’t shy away from a duel.
In the statistics for the 2021/2022 season, Özcan can be found in the top 20 for both pass and tackle rates.
Cologne has not lost anything, especially when it comes to duel toughness. The pioneer in this ranking is Jonas Hector, who has already fought 62 duels, of which he has won a strong 42. That means the sixth best rate of all Bundesliga players, with Hektor having by far the most direct duels. The captain is followed by Timo Hübers and Benno Schmitz in seventh and eighth place.
In defensive midfield, all-rounders Dejan Ljubicic and Ellyes Skhiri ensure stability and order. Newcomer and Özcan successor Eric Martel is also getting along better and better in Cologne.
1. FC Köln takes risks with young players
However, it remains questionable whether 1. FC Köln can regularly demonstrate the consistency and familiarity in the European weeks. Doubts about this were already raised in the playoffs against FC Fehérvár and the subsequent Bundesliga game against VfB Stuttgart, in which the players looked tired and exhausted.
Effzeh now faces such double burdens on a regular basis. The club will play ten Bundesliga and six Conference League games by mid-November.
The squad is not very broad for this. In the transfer final spurt, the Domstädter waived further commitments, instead three players were handed over with Kingsley Ehizibue (Udinese Calcio), Bright Akwo Arrey-Mbi (Hannover 96) and Niklas Hauptmann (Dynamo Dresden).
It could also prove to be a risk that in Cologne you bet directly on young players. FC actually wanted to give youngsters like Steffen Tigges, Florian Dietz, Eric Martel or Denis Huseinbasic time to get used to the level of the Bundesliga.
But the talents don’t get this time. Instead, they have to slip directly into the role of the beacons of hope – and together with the seasoned professionals try to make the departures of Modeste and Özcan forgotten.
Lissy Beckonert