Koln 3 FSV Mainz 2
On Saturday afternoon in Germany, we saw a Clash between the Bundesliga overachievers. Rhine Station was the venue so what was expected to be a remarkable contest as the billy goats of Koln Welcomed Fsv Mainz to the carnival in front of 49,000 to kick off the Bundesliga weekend. Both Koln and fsv Mainz continue to chase an improbable European spot for next season. Both teams are within a distance of a conference League spot for next season which would be a huge deal considering both of the sides had a relegation scares last season. What they have gone on to do this campaign is nothing short of remarkable as these two have been two of the most fascinating sides in the Bundesliga this season. There will be a lot of eyes on this one not only for the European implications but also from the entertainment standpoint with these two being so intriguing to all of us. They’re still both in range to potentially make an unlikely push for a European spot but the form of these teams haven’t been the best as they both hit a snag at the moment this was the perfect opportunity for one of these teams to get back on track. It would be a battle between the biggest overachievers in the Bundesliga the billy goats were ready was it going to be Carnival time? Or was Fsv Mainz there to ruin the party we would find out as we approach the kickoff in Cologne.
After preparations and predictions but the match kicked off as we got underway in Cologne. There was very little to split between the two teams as it seemed very split down the middle both on paper and in reality. Both teams defended well in the early portions of the game and try to make it as difficult as possible on each other. Just minutes into the game mark Uth send a cross into the box finding Jonas Hector as his attempted strike from the side of the box was blocked by the defense. As the game progressed it seemed that’s fsv Mainz was really pushing for an opening goal eventually they would find that moment. In the 14th minute surrounded by cologne fans everywhere, Alexander Hack found space before threading the ball inside the box to find Jonathan Burkhart finding just enough space to tuck it into the bottom corner as Fsv Mainz took a 1-0 lead.
It was quite an early start but it wasn’t as if the visitors were in total control or dominating the run to play it was a fairly open-ended game fsv Mainz just found themselves in a moment and took advantage of the opportunity to take the lead. Koln tried to hit back roughly seven minutes later Kingsley Ehizibue laid the ball off towards Duda heading with power by the goalkeeper manages to make the save. Only for fsv Mainz to hit back with a pair of chances within minutes of each other. Jonathan Burkhart looks for a second stretching the distance before being denied by The Keeper. Shortly after fsv Mainz was right there again Jean-Paul Boethius struck his foot through a headed pass from Onisiwo to set up the opportunity. There was a sense that fsv Mainz was starting to gather some momentum even though there was a feeling that Koln was still very much involved in the game and adapted well to circumstances. It started turning the other way as we got later into the first time with Koln putting together a string of chances to get themselves back on terms. Kingsley Ehizibue couldn’t hack it from outside the box before striking from deep again this time being infiltrated by a block from the defense. That was before they put together a superb chance James Horn had a cross into the box for Anthony Modeste the Koln positioned himself well following through with the header but hooking just to the left unable to capitalize on a well-orchestrated chance. The first happened with Anton stash being halted as Tim horn makes the save to end the first half with fsv Mainz holding on to a very narrow 1-0 lead thanks to an early goal from Jonathan Burkhart.
At the break fsv Mainz made it change bringing on David Nemeth 4 Alexander hack a little bit of a strange choice as Alexander hack assisted the opening goal. Even though fsv Mainz did have the lead cologne really was pushing at the end of the first half. Koln never looked totally out of the game but things became more difficult on themselves as fsv Mainz in the 55th were thriving in cologne Carnival. Dominic Kohr supplying a beautiful ball put right into the space of Onisiwo striking from a complicated angle but still able to beat Tim horn as Fsv Mainz double three advantages they took a 2-0 lead. It truly seemed like an unjustified advantage while Fsv Mainz did well to find a back of the net twice didn’t seem as if they were playing much better than the billy goats who needed an immediate response now. Koln made a triple substitution bringing on Ozcan, Louis Schaub, and Ljubicic. They got that response they were looking for in the 60th minute Anthony Modeste positioned himself extremely well on the corner flying through with the header as he sinks it into the back of the net to minimize the deficit. It was game on now with plenty of time left there was a chance for them to get it back and maybe even win it. 3 minutes later Louis Schaub came close to an equalizer but his strike from out of the box couldn’t quite hit. It became a real dog fight as fsv Mainz desperately tried to hold their advantage while cologne showed true team spirit trying to find that moment to turn things back around. Play font and battled then in the 78th-minute Koln erased the deficit cologne had the ball outside the box got locked up with a Defender Mark Uth push the ball into the box as Ljubicic hit on the first touch as he sends a rocket into the top corner leveling it with a little more than 10 minutes to go. 4 minutes away Koln put themselves on the verge of pulling off one of the biggest comeback to this campaign in the 82nd minute on-loan Mainz player Luca Killian get the important touch coming off a corner Ozcan connect on the header before an initial save at the right place at the right time is Luca Kilian to tap it into the back of the net as cologne took a 3-2 lead as Luca Kilian puts one past his employers as he wins it for Koln overturning a two-goal deficit very quickly as a second-half rally pulls off an incredible victory in what was a dramatic turnaround it is Carnival time in Cologne.
It was a true Bundesliga classic as we witnessed a five-goal thriller at Rhine Stadium in the beautiful city of Cologne, the city of the same cologne Carnival in which the club got its name. Indeed a festive mood on a Saturday afternoon in what turned out to be one of the most dramatic and entertaining matches of the Bundesliga weekend. Plenty of Intrigue, drama, and excitement between the Bundesliga overachievers. Fsv Mainz and Koln, during the last campaign, nearly were relegated from German Football. Fsv Mainz spent most of the campaign at the bottom of the table before scrapping themselves out of a terrific run to end the season. Meanwhile, cologne ended up in the relegation play-off but managed to do enough over the two legs to earn at their survival. Both fsv Mainz and cologne catapulted to the Bundesliga table; neither of the teams had to deal with the expected relegation scare. In fact, both of these teams have overachieved both on the brink of European football. A conference League place for either team is still very much up for grabs. Friedberg and Hoffenheim are doing some great things this season, but German Football’s surprise package has been cologne and fsv Mainz. It was a theatrical and exciting game, and it’s all right. Still, there’s so much Intrigue about it because of how well they have handled themselves in a very competitive Bundesliga season. Very few had either of these teams finishing out of the bottom part of the table they have; it’s just incredible the progression of these teams and what they’ve been able to do during this Bundesliga season; they have the potential to build on it this is why there’s so much interest in fascination with how the season has gone for the both of them. It’s truly a classic back and forth match-up, with nothing much to split between them. It was a true Bundesliga battle; while there may not have been a ton to gain, both of these teams still have their eyes on European football. It was a massive opportunity for both of them to make that a distinct possibility. Mainz managed to grab a lead early in the first half and then grabbed another one as they built a 2–0 lead against a very passionate and enthusiastic crowd in Cologne, hoping they could turn things around. It did undoubtedly look like, especially after the second goal, that fsv Mainz was just going to Glide to the three points. However, Koln felt the fire in their belly; they could flip the game on its head very quickly, getting themselves back into it as they turned the whole thing around. It was an excellent site; it was one of those matches that you couldn’t keep your eye off. With some late drama, as we know now, Koln went from two goals down to secure the victory in a dramatic finish, but the most thrilling part about all of it was that Killian scored the winner; a loanee from fsv Mainz made it that fit extra dramatic. Both teams came to play, but cologne just did a little better with their chances of burning their victory. Cologne is now putting some real pressure on Hoffenheim, who is only one point in front of them in 6th Place. Meanwhile, fsv Mainz, have you dropped the 10th, but with 15 points still up for grabs, the European dream could still be a faint possibility regardless; considering where these teams were at the end of last season, it to where they are now, we saw a precisely what we should have expected two teams showing how much they progressed as they put on a show.
Everything Roma 