Thijs Dallinga double sinks Hoffenheim as Cologne stage stunning comeback
Substitute Thijs Dallinga scored twice in the closing stages as Cologne completed a thrilling 3-2 turnaround against Hoffenheim.
Cologne 3-2 Hoffenheim
Goals: 0-1 Daghim 27’ (assist: Conté), 1-1 El Mala 51’, 1-2 Kabak 67’ (assist: Coufal), 2-2 Dallinga 72’ (assist: Maina), 3-2 Dallinga 82’
Missed pen: Moerstedt 57'
Three Bundesliga debutants took to the pitch for Cologne – Luka Lochoshvili, Gideon Mensah and Paul Okon-Engstler – while Bambasé Conté made his first-ever top-flight start for Hoffenheim, who also welcomed back Oliver Baumann, Bernardo and Adam Daghim to the side that had beaten Aue in the DFB Cup. Adam Hložek made his first Bundesliga start since May 2025.
Daghim strikes to open the scoring
The Billy Goats made the early running with Said El Mala posing a serious threat down the left, but it was the visitors who broke through first when Hložek fed Conté, who slipped in Daghim to fire low into the corner from outside the box in the 27th minute.
El Mala then had a glorious chance to equalise before the break, bursting clear one-on-one, but Baumann came out brilliantly to smother the effort.
El Mala levels before Kabak restores lead
The hosts came out fighting after the break and drew level in the 51st minute when El Mala drove into the box, beat his man and slotted home with the aid of a deflection.
Hoffenheim subsequently had a chance to retake the lead when Jahmai Simpson-Pusey brought down Conté for a penalty, but Marvin Schwäbe guessed correctly to save Max Moerstedt's spot-kick, and then denied the substitute again from open play moments later. Despite the double miss, Hoffenheim regained the lead in the 67th minute, Ozan Kabak powering home a header from Vladimir Coufal's corner.
Dallinga's double turns the tide
René Wagner turned to his bench and it paid off instantly, as Linton Maina squared low from the left for fellow substitute Dallinga to sweep home the equaliser in the 72nd minute on his Bundesliga debut. Ten minutes later, the lively Dutchman struck again, pouncing on a loose ball in the box to fire his side into the lead for the first time in the match.
Hoffenheim pushed hard for a leveller in stoppage time, with Andrej Kramarić and Moerstedt both testing the home defence, but the hosts held firm to seal a dramatic 3-2 victory.
Man of the Match: Thijs Dallinga
Introduced in the 65th minute, Dallinga needed just seven minutes to make his mark, sweeping home Maina's inviting cross for the equaliser on his Bundesliga debut. He then struck again in the 82nd minute, pouncing on a loose ball to fire Cologne into a lead they would not relinquish. His brace turned a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 victory, and he was consequently voted Man of the Match with 63 percent of the vote.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Cologne 2.22 - Hoffenheim 1.86
Fastest player: Adam Daghim (TSG), 35.86 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 1-0 by Adam Daghim (TSG), 4 percent
Pass efficiency: Vladimir Coufal (TSG), +6.44
Fantasy Heroes: Thijs Dallinga (Cologne, 308 Points), Saïd El Mala (Cologne, 246 Points), Marvin Schwäbe (Cologne, 207 Points)
