With the biggest win in the Bundesliga for almost 40 years, 1. FC Köln got rid of its winter frustration. In the 7-1 win against Werder Bremen, Steffen Baumgart’s team played themselves into a frenzy.
Euphoric from the greatest success in almost 40 years, Steffen Baumgart held his victory speech in sub-zero temperatures in a T-shirt, then his players were duly celebrated to the sound of carnival music. 1. FC Köln got rid of their winter frustration with an intoxicated performance against Werder Bremen – and with the 7: 1 (5: 1) they got in the mood for the upcoming duel at Bayern Munich.
“We saw a huge team effort. We implemented everything we set out to do. It’s a perfect day for all of us, outstanding,” said FC double goal scorer Steffen Tigges on Sky. He scored his second goal from almost 47 meters into an empty goal: “It speaks for our game and our team performance that everything works.”
The record champions from Munich should also feel this on Tuesday. “Take off Bayern’s lederhosen,” chanted the fans when Cologne’s biggest win since the 7-0 win against Eintracht Frankfurt in October 1983 was complete.
For coach Baumgart’s team it was also the first success since mid-October – before the World Cup break, the Cologne team had come closer and closer to the relegation zone. Linton Maina (9th), Tigges (15th/21st), Ellyes Skhiri (30th/54th) and Denis Huseinbasic (36th) scored on Saturday evening, plus an own goal from Bremen’s Marco Friedl (76th). Only national player Niclas Füllkrug (38th) scored for Werder.
Werder Bremen: Hard words from Lothar Matthäus
“We were presented,” said Werder’s ex-Cologne player Leonardo Bittencourt: “They knew what we were doing from A to Z.” Friedl said: “We missed everything that could be missed.” His team “did everything wrong”. Clemens Fritz, head of professional football at Bremen, called the appearance “a cheek”.
“You don’t get goals like that even in the amateur class,” said sky-Expert Lothar Matthäus at half-time and added that the defense was “not ready for the Bundesliga”. “It’s defended as poorly as I’ve ever seen Werder Bremen in my life.”
The Cologne team had paid the price for their recent successes in the last few weeks before the winter break. After qualifying for Europe in the summer and a decent start to the season, the multiple strains put a strain on the squad in the fall – the result was four defeats from the last five league games.
1. FC Köln: Tigges scores from 46 meters
The Cologne team had paid the price for their recent successes in the last few weeks before the winter break. After qualifying for Europe in the summer and a decent start to the season, the multiple strains put a strain on the squad in the fall – the result was four defeats from the last five league games.
The initial phase against Bremen hardly revealed what was to follow. The midfield was hard-fought, and nobody made it dangerously in front of the goal at first. However, the strange opening goal changed that: Werder had a good free-kick opportunity in a central position, but the short variant failed completely – and offered FC the counterattack chance, which Maina used.
Bremen’s game became more erratic, Cologne’s pressing got better and better, and time and again the best opportunities presented themselves. Tigges’ goal from distance was the highlight of this wild first half, which ended with Cologne’s highest half-time lead since the 1970s.
1. FC Cologne – Werder Bremen: The statistics of the game
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