Waldschmidt leads Cologne to the decisive victory against Darmstadt with a penalty!

Waldschmidt leads Cologne to the decisive victory against Darmstadt with a penalty!

The 1st FC Köln strengthened his promotion sample in the 2nd Bundesliga with a 2-1 victory against SV Darmstadt 98 on March 16, 2025.

In the first minute, Jan Thielmann scored the early 1-0 for the Cologne. A mistake by Darmstadt's Sergio López enabled Thielmann to act in the box and transport the ball into the net. But the joy of the early lead did not last long. In the 25th minute Darmstadt equalized through Fraser Hornby, which converted a penalty. The decision for this was made after an intervention by the video assistant, who saw a handball in Cologne's defense.

Waldschmidt's decisive role

The Cologne -based Luca Waldschmidt, who had to struggle with shape problems in the past few weeks, showed itself in top shape during the game against Darmstadt. The 1. FC Köln urgently needed a victory to position itself in the promotion race. Waldschmidt, who was previously not used in two February games and was only a spectator in the cup game against Leverkusen, took responsibility in the 80th minute and converted the penalty to 2: 1.

"We have to recharge your batteries during the international break and prepare for the end of the season," said Waldschmidt after the game. Coach Gerhard Struber praised the technology of the offensive player and his precise left foot. Waldschmidt was in the start of the start in the last two games and netted both against Darmstadt and previously in Ulm, where he scored the decisive goal in the 86th minute.

dismissal and exciting final phase

Another turning point in the game was the yellow-red card for Darmstadt's Hornby in the 66th minute. After the dismissal, the Cologne residents dominated the game and pushed to the next goal. Darmstadt almost equalized in added time. Aleksandar Vukotić came to a conclusion, but parried Cologne goalkeeper Marvin Schwäbe brilliantly.

The Match Facts illustrate the superiority of the Cologne team: With 3.08, the Cologne residents were significantly better than Darmstadt with 1.53. Waldschmidt was also the most pressed player with 17 pressing. In addition, Tim Lemperle shone with the best pass efficiency (+1.79).

for Cologne, this victory was not only important for the point account, but also for the self-confidence of the players on the way to the remaining season games. Waldschmidt thus shows that despite a bumpy start, he is now in the best form in the second half of the season. The international break comes for the Cologne team at the right time to prepare for the decisive games.

The next games will show whether Cologne can maintain the successful form and how Waldschmidt's return to old strength will affect the team. [Image] reports that ... while [bundesliga.com] emphasizes the details of the course of the game.