Dramatic defeat: Cologne fails to Hertha BSC in the 2nd league!

Dramatic defeat: Cologne fails to Hertha BSC in the 2nd league!

On April 5, 2025, 1st FC Köln had to accept a bitter defeat when she lost 0-1 in the 2nd Bundesliga against Hertha BSC. The decisive moment of the game came right after the change of sides when Fabian Reese scored the only goal in the 46th minute. With this victory, Hertha consolidated his ascent in the table ranking and demonstrated how the situation has stabilized since Reese's return to the club.

The disappointing defeat was particularly painful for Cologne coach Gerhard Struber because his team had followed the plan to recapture the table leadership from Hamburger SV with a home win. Despite the higher possession of the ball, Cologne was unable to overcome the defensively strong Berliners. The hosts were only able to record a noteworthy opportunity by Eric Martel in the first half.

intensive first half with a few opportunities

The first half of the encounter was characterized by intensity, but with a few clear goal opportunities. While Hertha tried to become dangerous about counterattack, FC Köln had its problems to get the game under control. Ibrahim Maza, whose attempt was blocked in the 2nd minute, had the best chance for Hertha. In the 17th minute, Marten Winkler missed a good opportunity for the Berliners.

Cologne couldn't really convince either, the best opportunity for her in the first half came through Eric Martel, whose shot just missed the goal in the 28th minute.

the crucial moment and the reaction

The Düsseldorfers started the second half and punished the Cologne defense immediately. Reese converted his shot into the far corner and turned the course of the game upside down. After the deficit, Cologne took a few minutes to gather. On the other hand, Hertha increased the pressure and used the counter opportunities that she got. Derry Scherhann and Reese had the opportunity to finally decide the game in the 67th minute.

In the final phase, the Cologneers mobilized their last use. Trainer Struber brought fresh offensive to take care of the balance. The best attempt to compensate for the deficit came from Damion Downs in the 86th minute, which failed.

Hertha on the way to stability

With this victory, Hertha BSC has now achieved the third league victory in a row and has settled away from the acute relegation threat. You have expanded the distance to the relegation place to eight points and show that the return of Fabian Reese contributes significantly to improve team performance. In the last four games, Reese has scored an impressive six goals and a total of seven goals this season.

For Cologne, on the other hand, it will be about drawing the right conclusions from the defeat, while the next challenges and the pressure to regain the table leadership remain. The present statistics of the game show that Cologne could still accommodate more with an Expected Goals of 1.02 than was ultimately implemented on the pitch.
ZDF reports that the course of the game and the performance of both teams will be directional while the table remains tight. Also on bundesliga.com is underlined and on Transfermarkt.de There can be more information about the current situation in the league.