Cologne score late to take relegation fight to final matchday
Cologne will have the chance to escape relegation in the final Bundesliga matchday next weekend after scoring a goal in stoppage-time to secure a 3-2 comeback win against Union Berlin on Saturday.
The traditional German club needed a win to avoid relegation this weekend, but the mission became even more difficult after Robin Knoche and Kevin Volland from the spot gave Union a 2-0 lead with less than 20 minutes played.
Cologne pulled one back shortly before the break, but the atmosphere at their Rhein Energie stadium was dim as relegation to the second division seemed just a matter of minutes.
That changed completely once Steffen Tigges found the equalizer in the 87th minute and when Damion Downs secured Cologne a crucial win in the third minute of stoppage-time.
Cologne are two points away from the relegation play-off spot, currently occupied by Mainz, who later face Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund. If Mainz avoid defeat, Union end the matchday in the drop zone.
Elsewhere, Freiburg played out a 1-1 draw with Heidenheim in coach's Christian Streich final home game with the team. The draw was enough to take Freiburg closer to European qualification.
The 1-1 score also prevailed in matches between RB Leipzig and Werder Bremen, and Borussia Mönchengladbach and Eintracht Frankfurt.
Streich said ahead of the game that he wasn't letting his emotions show for now out of self-protection.
"I've built myself a little box, inside me, and everything goes in there. Otherwise I won't make it. Otherwise it's up and down, then you're emotionally exhausted, it's too much," he told broadcasters Sky.
Gladbach, meanwhile, confirmed their Bundesliga status for another year and Frankfurt guaranteed they will finish sixth, which currently means qualification for the Europa League. But the sixth place could become a Champions League spot if Dortmund finish fifth and are also crowned Champions League winners this season.
Union were leading in the 15th minute after Knoche glanced the ball from a corner past goalkeeper Marvin Schwabe and into the net.
The Berlin club, who needed a win to be safe from relegation, were awarded a penalty just four minutes later after a handball and Kevin Volland made sure the ball was between the posts.
Not much came from Cologne, but they also got a penalty and captain Florian Kainz pulled one back from the spot in the 45th.
The hosts had a great chance to level in the 51st after a far-post cross fell to Faride Alidou but he failed to tap the ball in from close range.
There wasn't much hope left and relegation seemed certain - at least until Tigges was on target in the 87th to make it 2-2.
The goal was reviewed for a possible offside and once it was confirmed, Cologne marched on to turn the game around and they completed a dramatic win as Downs headed the ball in from point blank range.
Cologne, the first-ever Bundesliga champions in 1963-64, will now wait the result of Mainz v Dortmund. But either way, they secured themselves a chance to avoid a seventh relegation in their history in the final Bundesliga matchday.
