After a bitter home defeat, 1. FC Köln are threatened with being eliminated from the play-offs of the Conference League. The team coached by Steffen Baumgart lost the first leg against the Hungarian underdog FC Fehervar after a long deficit 1:2 (1:2) and is therefore in danger of missing out on the millions from qualifying for the group stage. To prevent that, FC need a win in the second duel next Thursday (7 p.m.) in Hungary. Qualifying for the group stage brings almost three million euros, where there is more money that the financially strapped club could use very well.
From Cologne’s point of view, the game had started well. Florian Dietz (14th), who again played in the center of the attack instead of Anthony Modeste, who had switched to Borussia Dortmund, gave FC the lead. But when Jeff Chabot (20th) had to leave the field with a red card just six minutes later, the game tipped over. Budu Siwsiwadze (32nd) and Palko Dardai (40th), the son of former Hertha coach Pal Dardai, scored for Fehervar. In the second round, FC vehemently pushed for an equalizer. Jonas Hector (59th) headed just over the goal. Baumgart tried to set new impulses for the offensive with fresh forces. Substitute Linton Maina hit the post (70′), and a little later strikers Steffen Tigges and Sargis Adamyan came into play.