Coach Steffen Baumgart happy after derby victory over Gladbach

At some point on Sunday evening, when Steffen Baumgart’s body had stopped releasing adrenaline, a few everyday emotions came to the fore. Actually, he was “rather modest, in terms of his health,” said the coach of 1. FC Köln, who had a cold, after the 3-1 win against Borussia Mönchengladbach, which ended a series without a Bundesliga win that had lasted since mid-May.

Baumgart seemed shaken; he had undergone a feat of strength. Immediately after the final whistle, he even seemed to be fighting back tears; “a lot had fallen,” he said: “In one situation or another, you could tell that there was relief.”

Relief about the victory, because everyday life as the bottom of the Bundesliga table is stressful. But also about the performance of the team, which works and lives. And who, even without the leading players Jonas Hector and Ellyes Skhiri, who were lost in the summer, can not only deal with pressure, but also inspire.

Efficiency remains a problem

“I have to say the way we played football, despite the difficult situation, is what puts a big smile on my face,” said Baumgart. It must have been a perceived smile, because his face looked serious, tired. This may have been due to his exhaustion, but perhaps also because some of the core problems of the current season were visible again despite the rousing performance.

Yes, the Cologne team played great, with maximum commitment, well organized. They practically didn’t allow Gladbach any chances from the game, had a number of their own scoring opportunities and hit the post and crossbar. But efficiency remains a problem. For their first two goals, they needed three penalties because the second had to be retaken, and the help of the video assistant from the excellent team of referees around Deniz Aytekin, who, in the decisive moment of the game, worked together neatly to cause Gladbach’s Manu Koné to be sent off, which left Ljubicic badly injured Ankle hit (72nd minute).

“Still, this is just a beginning”

Florian Kainz scored early with a penalty to make it 1-0 for Cologne. After Nico Elvedi headed the lucky 1-1 from a corner (63′), the fear of losing points again crept into the stands, even though almost everything was going well. “We were broken for a moment and fell into a small hole,” said strong defender Jeff Chabot. Self-confidence was back in the majority, and Cologne’s enormous energy expenditure, reinforced by an unleashed audience, was rewarded with the luck that was often missing in the first phase of the season.

Kainz scored again from the penalty spot (76′), before Gian-Luca Waldschmidt increased the score to 3-1 in the 90th minute. “After a long time, I’m happy that I’m not just the tree, but also the dog,” said Baumgart. On the Gladbach side, those responsible called for patience: “I have always said that this is a very young team that still has a lot to learn,” said Gladbach sports director Roland Virkus. “And we are currently learning and learning at the expense of results and should eliminate individual mistakes.”

Published/Updated: Recommendations: 6 Daniel Theweleit, Cologne Published/Updated: Recommendations: 1 Daniel Theweleit, Cologne Published/Updated: Recommendations: 2

The Gladbachers didn’t deserve any points either, Cologne was simply stronger overall in this game, which was borderline bad at the beginning. The extensive pyrotechnic excess that the Cologne supporters staged in their south corner immediately before kick-off looked good, but went much further than the usual fireworks displays.

Luminous objects flew through the air, some bouncing off the underside of the stand roof and falling back into the crowd. There was also a bang, but apparently no one was injured. And the Cologne players felt motivated by the performance, despite the kick-off being delayed by six minutes due to smoke. “The fans pushed us today before the game. The atmosphere was really cool,” said Kainz, “that was good for us in the situation we are in.”

In the end, they were overjoyed by the victory in this emotionally charged derby, but also by the realization that they could achieve impressive performances as a homogeneous team, even in crisis and pressure situations. “We have to stick with ourselves,” Baumgart had said more often recently and spoke of the “common path” that those responsible want to take with this team. The acute concern that a lack of success will have an impact on performance at some point, especially under pressure, has now been allayed. “Nevertheless, this is just a beginning, we are not where we imagine,” said Baumgart.