In a gripping encounter held this Saturday for matchday 18, Cologne showcased their resilience by coming from behind to defeat Mainz 2-1. The match saw Ragnar Ache being the star player, scoring two crucial goals (11’ and 39’ of the second half) that shifted the momentum in favor of Cologne. Mainz initially took the lead with a goal from Stefan Bell in the 28th minute of the first half.
Ragnar Ache’s impressive performance was pivotal, as he not only netted the equalizer and the winner, but also made two shots on goal throughout the match.
On the defensive end, Stefan Bell also played a crucial role for Mainz, contributing to the team’s efforts with a goal of his own.
Cologne’s head coach, Lukas Kwasniok, deployed a 3-4-3 formation with Marvin Schwäbe in goal; Sebastian Sebulonsen, Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, and Cenk Ozkacar forming the backline; Jakub Kaminski, Ísak Jóhannesson, Eric Martel, and Alessio Castro Montes in midfield; and Linton Maina, Marius Bülter, and Said El Mala in attack.
Conversely, Mainz, under the management of Urs Fischer, opted for a 3-5-2 formation with Daniel Batz guarding the net; Dominik Kohr, Stefan Bell, and Kacper Potulski in defense; Danny da Costa, Paul Nebel, Kaishu Sano, Lee Jaesung, and Silvan Widmer in the midfield; and Silas and Phillip Tietz leading the attack.
The match referee was Felix Zwayer.
Looking forward, Cologne will travel to Freiburg in their next outing, while Mainz will host Wolfsburg at Mewa Arena. Currently, Cologne sits at 10th place with 20 points, while Mainz languishes in 17th position with just 12 points in the tournament.
Substitutions for Cologne
45’ 2T – Eric Martel for Tom Krauss, Ísak Jóhannesson for Ragnar Ache, Cenk Ozkacar for Kris Lund
72’ 2T – Linton Maina for Luca Waldschmidt
82’ 2T – Alessio Castro Montes for Jan Thielmann
Yellow Cards for Cologne:
17’ 1T Eric Martel, 26’ 2T Marius Bülter, 26’ 2T Said El Mala, 41’ 2T Tom Krauss
Substitutions for Mainz
60’ 2T – Silas for Armindo Sieb
73’ 2T – Stefan Bell for Lennard Maloney, Lee Jaesung for William Boving
89’ 2T – Kaishu Sano for Arnaud Nordin, Paul Nebel for Fabio Moreno
Yellow Cards for Mainz:
42’ 1T Lee Jaesung, 15’ 2T Silvan Widmer, 26’ 2T Daniel Batz, 26’ 2T Phillip Tietz