FC Koln's U21 team rescued a point in the Regionalliga West with a last-gasp 2-2 draw against Sportfreunde Lotte on Saturday. Nilas Yacobi scored a free-kick in the first minute of injury time to secure the result and prevent a second league defeat of the season.
According to a report by come-on-fc.com, the match featured a debut. Goalkeeper Martin James made his first competitive start for Koln between the posts. Head coach Manuel Hartmann made two changes to his starting lineup following the 2:1 win in Oberhausen. Alongside James, experienced Marvin Ajani came into the side. Mikolaj Marutzki and Lionel Voufack were both absent from the squad entirely.
How did Lotte take an early lead?
Koln started brighter but failed to create clear chances against the visitors. The opening goal came against the run of play. Rohin Shivani controlled a pass in the box and turned. His long-range shot took a decisive deflection off captain Niklas Hoffmann, leaving debutant James with no chance. The 0:1 in the 12th minute was a blow that took the Young Goats several minutes to recover from.
By the middle of the first half, Koln regained control. The deserved equalizer came before the break. Gil Neves played a pressured pass from the left touchline to Marvin Ajani. The veteran cut inside, left a defender standing, and fired a precise shot from the edge of the area into the far corner for 1:1 in the 37th minute.
Why did Koln have to come from behind again?
Koln remained the dominant side after halftime. A big chance went begging for Malek El Mala in the 55th minute after good work from Maik Akumu. The hosts also had a let-off when Shivani broke through on a counter in the 65th minute but shot over the bar.
The setback came soon after. Captain Hoffmann lost possession in midfield. Lotte counter-attacked instantly, with Malte Zumdieck passing to Embarki Hadj, who ran through alone and slotted past James to make it 1:2. That 71st-minute goal looked like being the winner for a long time, as Koln's furious attacks found no way through Lotte's compact defense.
Who was the match-winner for the FC reserves?
In injury time, Koln won one final opportunity. Nilas Yacobi stepped up from about 20 yards and converted the free-kick for the 2:2 equalizer in the 90+1st minute. His strike secured a point for his team. The match in front of 275 spectators ended with this late goal.
FC Koln's U21 currently sits mid-table in the Regionalliga West with seven points from five matches. The full table and further statistics can be found on our standings page. Next up for the Young Goats is an away match against VfL Bochum's U21 on Tuesday afternoon at 4 pm. This English week concludes with another away game at Bonner SC on Friday evening. The upcoming fixtures are listed in our fixtures calendar. Coach Hartmann's team must now navigate the next challenges without the injured Marutzki and Voufack, whose return can be tracked on our injuries page.
