FC Koln suffered a heavy 4:1 defeat away to VfB Stuttgart on the second matchday of the Bundesliga season. The Billy Goats were largely outplayed and could only manage a consolation own goal from Ramon Hendriks in the 81st minute, as reported by Der Standard Sport.
The match took place on Tuesday and highlighted Koln's current struggles. By halftime, the expected goals statistic reflected their clear dominance. Koln goalkeeper Marvin Schwäbe was busy early on, saving a header from Jeff Chabot. Dzenan Pejcinovic hit the crossbar with a header in the 19th minute, but that was one of few bright spots.
How did the match unfold?
Stuttgart took the lead in the 39th minute. Bilal El Khannouss dribbled through the heart of the Koln defence to make it 1:0. After the break, Grischa Prömel doubled the advantage in the 60th minute. Koln tried to apply pressure. Ellyes Skhiri had a huge chance from two meters out in the 47th minute, but Fabian Bredlow saved it. Mikey Moore was also denied by the Stuttgart keeper in the 53rd and 56th minutes. Tom Krauß hit the side-netting in the 56th minute.
But Stuttgart put the game to bed early. Ermedin Demirovic made it 3:0 in the 75th minute. Koln's only goal came six minutes later, when Ramon Hendriks unfortunately headed into his own net. Josha Vagnoman, who recently missed a Deadline Day transfer to Hull City, added the final touch in the 90th minute. For Stuttgart, 19-year-old Austrian Yanik Spalt also made his Bundesliga debut in stoppage time.
What personnel issues did Koln face?
The Cologne side had to do without several key players. Said El Mala missed out due to a cold, while Thijs Dallinga was sidelined with gastrointestinal issues. These absences add to a longer list. Sebastian Sebulonsen and Timo Hübers are also currently unavailable, as shown in the club's latest injury report. These personnel shortages are weighing heavily on the team in the early part of the season.
Stuttgart coach Sebastian Hoeneß was pleased with his team's performance after the match. "The first half was seamless, we implemented what we set out to do," he said. Of El Khannouss's goal, he remarked, "Those were beautiful goals and Bilal's is a delight to watch, not many can do what he showed there."
What's next for both teams?
For VfB Stuttgart, focus now turns to Champions League preparation. Five days after the Koln match, they host Viking Stavanger. They also have a Bundesliga match against Hoffenheim on Saturday at 15:30. FC Koln must quickly recover from this defeat. Their next match is the Bundesliga fixture against Werder Bremen on Saturday evening at 18:30. This home game on September 12th is already the next challenge in a demanding start to the season. The full schedule for the coming weeks can be found on the club's fixtures page.
Koln lost 5:1 to Bayern Munich on the opening day and now have zero points from two matches. The team under coach ___ urgently needs to find a turnaround to avoid getting dragged into a relegation battle early. The current league standings show the pressing need for points in the next outing.
