Hoffenheim Suffers Defeat Against Cologne in Bundesliga Match
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim were defeated at home to 1. FC Cologne with a score of 0-1 in a Bundesliga encounter on Saturday. The match saw Cologne secure a narrow victory, moving them temporarily up to fourth place in the league standings, while Hoffenheim remains in tenth position.
Hoffenheim created the initial opportunity of the game early on, with Damar’s effort being well-saved by Cologne goalkeeper Schwäbe. However, the visitors quickly capitalized, with El Mala in the 16th minute, the U21 international, breaking through the Hoffenheim defense to slot past Baumann and give Cologne the lead.
Despite the early setback, Hoffenheim looked to respond, but a pass from Asllani for Touré in the 23rd minute was thwarted by another strong save from the Cologne keeper. El Mala had a further chance to extend Cologne’s advantage before the halftime break but shot over the target. A late effort from Asllani was then safely dealt with by Schwäbe, leaving the visitors holding a one-goal advantage at the interval.
The second half saw Hoffenheim pressing for an equalizer, with Touré narrowly failing to find the back of the net due to a crucial block. Cologne remained a threat on the counter-attack, with Kaminski missing a clear opportunity to double their lead in the 65th minute. In the closing moments, another chance for the Polish forward was denied by a superb save from Baumann. However, Cologne managed to maintain their slender lead until the final whistle, securing the win and climbing the league table.