Cologne: 2019/20 season so far
Cologne have had a rollercoaster ride on their return to the German top flight. But how did they turn things around so spectacularly after their very shaky start?
bundesliga.com looks back on how the promoted team’s changing fortunes…
Who they signed: Cologne mostly looked outside of Germany to bolster their squad ahead of the new campaign, with Ellyes Skhiri arriving from Montpellier, Belgian pair Sebastiaan Bornauw and Birger Verstraete joining from Anderlecht and Gent respectively, and hard-running full-back Kingsley Ehizibue moving from Dutch side PEC Zwolle. Young goalkeeper Julian Krahl switched from RB Leipzig, while winger Kingsley Schindler stepped up from second-tier Holstein Kiel.
The Bundesliga 2 champions also had a new head coach. Achim Beierlorzer was given the chance to impress in the top flight after two strong years with Jahn Regensburg in the second division.
What they expected: Cologne finished bottom of the Bundesliga in 2017/18, managing just five wins and conceding 70 goals in 34 games. They racked up 84 goals when bouncing back to the top flight at the first attempt, however, with Simon Terodde and Jhon Cordoba combining for 49 of those.
If things went well – with the backing of 50,000 fans at their RheinEnergieStadion – Cologne had the potential to thrive on their return. The two-time German champions had, after all, finished fifth as recently as the 2016/17 season.
“We want to establish ourselves in the Bundesliga,” said Beierlorzer when he was unveiled in July. To do so, he said Cologne needed to pick up points as soon as possible to avoid a relegation dogfight.
How it played out: Unfortunately for Beierlorzer, the Billy Goats found it tough to get going. An opening day defeat at Wolfsburg was followed by another in their first home match, when Borussia Dortmund struck three times in the final 20 minutes to come from behind.
Five defeats in the first six matches left the promoted side in a spot of bother, but an injury-time equaliser from Jonas Hector at Schalke and a 3-0 win over Paderborn hinted that things were turning around.
By the end of Matchday 11, though, Beierlorzer had already been dismissed, having watched his side suffer a stoppage-time loss at home to Hoffenheim to make it eight defeats from 11 games to start the season.
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Markus Gisdol, who had saved both Hoffenheim and Hamburg from relegation in the past, was appointed in mid-November. Gisdol said he wanted his team to “start living up to its obvious potential”, but he initially was unable to stop their slide down the table. A run of one point from a possible 18, which included some of Beierlorzer’s last matches in charge, left Cologne bottom on goal difference in early December. They had recorded just eight points and 12 goals from 14 matches.
Cologne only had a four-point gap to bridge to get out of the relegation zone, however, and their luck soon started to change. For the Matchday 15 game against Bayer Leverkusen, Gisdol handed a debut to 17-year-old Jan Thielmann and also trusted other inexperienced youngsters like Noah Katterbach and Ismail Jakobs. Two red cards for Leverkusen helped, but goals from Cordoba and Bornauw kickstarted an incredible turnaround for the Billy Goats.
A brilliant comeback away to Eintracht Frankfurt followed, and Cordoba’s vital winner at home to fellow strugglers Bremen made it three wins from three. Gisdol’s side were suddenly out of the relegation zone as the league shutdown for the winter break.
Watch: Cologne dominated December's Rookie of the Month nominees
Any concerns that Cologne’s momentum would be halted by the time off were swept away by another impressive home success once the action resumed in January. Cordoba struck twice in victory over Wolfsburg, and the in-form Colombian was on the scoresheet again in a 4-0 win against Freiburg.
Heavy defeats against Dortmund and Bayern Munich proved mere bumps on the road. Cordoba and Florian Kainz both got doubles in a 5-0 thrashing of Hertha Berlin in the capital, and further successes against Schalke and Paderborn followed.
Before a Rhine derby defeat at Borussia Mönchengladbach, Cologne had won eight out of their previous 10 matches. Had the season started in 2020, the Billy Goats would be fourth. But to lie in 10th position – five points off the European places and 10 clear of the relegation/play-off spot – is a great effort considering how the season started.
Key player: Many players are responsible for Cologne’s climb up the table. Goalkeeper Timo Horn and captain Hector, who both bucked the modern-day trend by staying with the club despite their relegation two years ago, have shown their experience on returning to the top flight. Summer signings Bornauw and Skhiri have become mainstays of the team, while Mark Uth has done his best by scoring four times in seven matches since his return in January – on loan from Schalke – to his hometown club.
Cordoba, though, has been exceptional during his side’s revival. A hamstring injury early in the season curtailed the former Mainz attacker’s progress, and it took him until Matchday 11 – and the 2-1 loss against Hoffenheim – for him to get his first goal. Since 30 November, however, he has been sensational – adding nine more goals in 12 matches. Having netted 20 times to help Cologne to the Bundesliga 2 title last season, the 26-year-old has already hit double figures again in the top flight and could yet drive his side on to secure a European place.
Best game: The 2-0 win over Leverkusen in December was vital, ending a six-game winless streak and giving Cologne belief. But that was in front of their passionate fans, and on derby day players will always be that bit more motivated.
The win in Frankfurt, then, was probably marginally more pivotal to the campaign. With half an hour played, the visitors were 2-0 down, having conceded two soft goals from corner kicks. Seemingly on course for a sixth defeat from seven on the road, they could have thrown in the towel at one of the toughest away grounds in the Bundesliga.
Watch: Relive the Frankfurt-Cologne drama
Hector’s deflected long-range strike shortly before half-time gave them hope, however, and set the stage for a thrilling last 18 minutes. Bornauw got Cologne level with a deft finish, and substitute Kainz then got a second assist by setting up Dominick Drexler. Ismail Jakobs smashed home his first Bundesliga goal in injury-time to seal a fantastic four-goal comeback which was the catalyst for their hot run of form.
Biggest surprise: There have been plenty of surprise packages at Cologne this season. Thielmann has seven league appearances to his name since being promoted from the U19 side, while fellow wide man Jakobs has also enjoyed a brilliant breakthrough year. All 14 of his starts have come since November, and he has two goals and an assist – as well as winning the Rookie of the Month award for December and being nominated in February.
Another 20-year-old, though, is also having a stunning season. A tall, rugged central defender in the mould of his mentor, former Hamburg and Bayern Munich man Daniel van Buyten, Bornauw has done some serious damage in attack.
With five goals to his name, the Belgian – who cites Carles Puyol and Vincent Kompany as role models – is the club’s second-top goalscorer. Five of Cologne’s 10 wins have come when Bornauw has got on the scoresheet, and they kept four clean sheets in those matches. Many of his goals have been crucial too: the clinching second against Leverkusen, the equaliser against Frankfurt, and the opening strikes in February’s home wins over Freiburg and Schalke.
Nicknamed Thor in Belgium and Tarzan in Germany, Bornauw’s courageous performances have been an integral part of Cologne’s resurgence. After 10 years at Anderlecht, he looks right at home in the Bundesliga.
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