Hoffenheim deepens Cologne’s crisis with 3-0 Bundesliga win
BERLIN (AP) Winless Cologne slumped to another bitter Bundesliga defeat on Sunday when Sandro Wagner..
BERLIN (AP) Winless Cologne slumped to another bitter Bundesliga defeat on Sunday when Sandro Wagner scored twice in a 3-0 win for visiting Hoffenheim.
Cologne, bottom of the league with just two points from 11 games, exasperated the home fans with Milos Jojic and Sehrou Guirassy both missing great chances before Wagner sealed the result.
Yuya Osako had gone closest for Cologne when he hit the post in the first half after Dennis Geiger’s ninth-minute strike for Hoffenheim, and the home side’s hopes took another blow when Pawel Olkowski gave away a penalty early in the second half.
Wagner duly converted it and the Germany striker made sure of the result with ten minutes remaining.
It was Cologne’s ninth defeat in 11 games and it increases the pressure on coach Peter Stoeger, who apparently still has the players’ backing.
”It’s not even an issue. Peter Stoeger has built us up over four years and he led us to Europe. It’s not a coaching problem,” Cologne goalkeeper Timo Horn said.
The side’s poor start already led to managing director Joerg Schmadtke leaving the club by mutual consent last month.
”We’re not giving up. We’ll keep going,” Horn said.
Wolfsburg was hosting Hertha Berlin later Sunday.
