Saturday 29th May 2021
Update
Blitz-Ko for second division Kiel
Cologne prevents the Bundesliga relegation furiously
Second division Holstein Kiel had to bury their hopes for promotion in the relegation second leg after just a few minutes: FC Köln rolled over the storks and did not allow anything behind. This means that the Rhinelanders are able to stay in the league, while Kiel completes the 2nd league with Werder, Schalke and Co.
Friedhelm Funkel dodged a first surge with a cat, but half a second later it caught him. In the Kiel evening sun, the rescuer trainer of 1. FC Köln pelted the beer from the extra-large glass on his gray hair and ran down his collar. The 67-year-old laughed freely: In the end, he still achieved his last mission in professional football brilliantly.
The 5: 1 (4: 1) in the sporty, completely collapsed second division kickers of KSV Holstein saved the traditional Rhenish club from the seventh relegation from the Bundesliga. Three header goals robbed the exhausted Kielers of any hope in the relegation second leg despite their 1-0 first leg win. The rest was an unexpected Cologne evening walk to keep the class. “Whenever we had our backs against the wall, we played games like this. We stood together as a team over the season. We pulled through,” said captain Jonas Hector at DAZN. “We know what FC means for the city. It’s a very deep bond. In this game we wanted to give everything back to them.”
It succeeded impressively. Two hits by Swede Sebastian Andersson in the 6th and 13th minute were the basis for the deserved success. Hector had also put his team (3rd) in the lead with a header. Lee Jae-Sung equalized for Kiel at short notice (4th), before Rafael Czichos (39th) scored again for the guests – but with a volley. Ellyes Shkiri (84th) made everything clear. After the mammoth program, the Kielers sank completely exhausted on the lawn due to their two-time corona quarantine. “They had nothing more to add,” said FC goalkeeper Timo Horn. From their fans, 2334 were allowed, the North Germans were still celebrated for a grandiose season.
Kiel finds no means
Schleswig-Holstein’s Prime Minister Daniel Günther had barely sipped his beer in the VIP stands, when the game had actually already run against the third division. The father of the country had to watch helplessly with a shirt and a fan scarf as the hosts overslept the start. Every flank, every corner kick meant danger, the defense seemed totally unsorted. The senior citizens of Domstadt took advantage of this mercilessly, Funkel almost clapped his hands sore on the sidelines.
The mood was completely different with Ole Werner. Again and again the Holstein coach tore his sparse hair, his calls for more concentration went largely unheard. Cologne withdrew after the quick lead, but still kept control of the game. Which also had to do with the fact that the hosts missed Janni Serra painfully. The goalscorer, who was moving to Arminia Bielefeld, was absent from the center of the attack due to a thigh strain. In contrast to the Kiel Cup triumph against Bayern Munich, ex-Bremen Fin Bartels had a bad day.
After the break, the West Germans gave up their style of play, which had been considered safe after the early lead, and became more offensive. The hosts had no answer to that. As in the last spurt in the second division, the burden of the numerous catch-up games made itself felt.
The longer the game lasted, the more the North Germans could thank goalkeeper Ioannis Gelios that the defeat was not even more substantial. The Holstein goalkeeper prevented further goals in the course of the second half.
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