Damion Downs was simply sensational in the 3-1 win over Nuremberg that sent Cologne into second place.. - © IMAGO/BEAUTIFUL SPORTS/Wunderl

2. Bundesliga

Winter champions: Cologne emerge as promotion contenders in Bundesliga 2

15.12.2024

Things can change quickly in the crazy world of Bundesliga 2! After beating Kaiserslautern, Cologne claimed top spot going into the winter break, and will be aiming to cement their place in the new year.

It's tight at the top! After 17 matchdays, the entire top half of the Bundesliga 2 table is separated by just five points. What is surprising, however, is that Cologne are top of the pile at the halfway stage, retaining their promotion spot after rising up to the key spots on Matchday 16 for the first time since their relegation from the top flight at the end of last season. Just a coincidence? No, there is much more to the story of Cologne's resurgence.

Downs hit Cologne's opener against Nuremberg. - IMAGO/pepphoto / Sascha Weiz

Change brings stability

By beating Kaiserslautern 1-0 in a winner-takes-top-spot clash on the final matchday of the first half of the Bundesliga 2 season, Cologne stretched their unbeaten run to seven matches - six of which they have won. And coach Gerhard Struber is promising more of the same: "We're not going to sit back just because we're on a winning streak."

After a mixed start to the season, which featured successive defeats in October (5-1 in Darmstadt, 2-1 at home to Paderborn), the Austrian coach made a tactical change in November. The back four switched to a back three, which becomes a back five when the opponents have the ball. The result? Cologne won their next three games 1-0. Not in style, but they stayed solid and duly picked up points.

Downs also provded the assist for Denis Huseinbasic to score Cologne's third against Nuremberg. - IMAGO/Ralf Treese/DeFodi Images

Lemperle stars, Downs excels

Up front, the Rhinelanders may have offered less of a spectacle, but then one striker in particular ignited the next stage of development: Tim Lemperle. With four goals in his last five games, he already boasts eight goals and four assists for the season. The Frankfurt native is developing into one of the top strikers in Bundesliga 2 after returning on loan from Fürth.

This league is not for the faint-hearted!

However, against Nuremberg, Struber's team proved that they have more to offer up front than 'just' their top scorer. While Lemperle was forced to watch on with a muscular issue, outstanding USA U23 international Damion Downs stepped into breach - and the spotlight. Struber's 'rough diamond' scored the first goal, won the penalty for Florian Kainz to make it 2-0 and set up Denis Huseinbašić to make it 3-0 at half-time. After the break, former Cologne player Jens Castrop hit what turned out to be a mere consolation for the Franconians.

"It feels really good to be up among the top places again," beamed Kainz after the game. "Now we want to end the year with a win in Kaiserslautern on Sunday."

The perfect Christmas gift

The midfielder's demands were fulfilled a week later as Cologne took all three points away from the Fritz-Walter-Stadion, their fourth 1-0 away win in a row. Dejan Ljubicic was the difference-maker on this occasion, as his back-post header in the first half proved decisive.

The win moved the Billygoats onto 31 points as they secured first place in the table going into the winter break, two points clear of second-placed Karlsruhe and three clear of Hamburg in third, whom they face in their first game back on 18 January 2025. Given how close the table currently is, every game feels like a six-pointer for those in the top half, but this showdown at the Volksparkstadion will be particularly significant, not just because it consists of first versus third, but because it is between two Traditionsvereine (traditional clubs) who are eager to make their return to the Bundesliga.

There may be many twists and turns when the Bundesliga 2 resumes in the new year, but Cologne will be hoping they can end the second half of the season like they finished the first, sitting pretty atop the league standings.