The first title of the season has been awarded. With a victory at Greuther Fürth, the 1st FC Köln is determined two matchdays before the end as second league champion. For the coach, it is a special success.
One year of the second class is enough: 1st FC Köln has reached its goal for the season, the direct promotion to the Bundesliga. On the 32nd match day, the Köln team won 4:0 (3:0) at the Greuther Fürth match association. Jhon Córdoba scored three of the four goals. Since all of the ascent rivals had failed before, the Effzeh is prematurely determined as second league champion.
With 64 points Köln has eight points more on the account than the Tabellenzweite Paderborn. With two more games to go, the team can no longer be displaced from first place. It is the sixth ascent of the Köln team and the fourth time after 2000, 2005 and 2014 that they finish a second league season first.
The Effzeh dominated the game from the start and took the lead early through Córdoba. Florian Kainz crossed from the left in front of the goal, the Colombians only had to push the ball over the line from close range (8th minute). The second goal was scored by the Fürth side. Daniel Steininger headed a corner from the left into his own net (20.).
Two strikers, 48 goals
Then Córdoba was allowed to go again: This time the flank of Louis Schaub came from the right. Dominick Drexler crossed the second post with his head so that the centre forward again had an easy game. Almost standing on the goal line, Córdoba headed the ball into the net without any resistance (41st). Córdoba also scored his third goal from close range with his head – this time again after Kainz (65th).
For Córdoba, it was goals 18, 19 and 20 of the season, making Köln the first team to put forward two strikers who scored 20 goals or more in a second division season. Córdoba is on the scorer’s list behind their team-mate Simon Terodde, who has scored 28 times.
Köln coach André Pawlak celebrated a tailor-made debut. The 38-year-old not only won his first game as a professional coach but was also delighted to be promoted. Pawlak, who had previously coached the Köln team’s second team, had been named Markus Anfang’s successor. The beginning had to go, after the Effzeh four plays in consequence not won and last a 1:2 home defeat against Darmstadt 98 had to accept had.