The 1. FC Köln 1-0 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt extended their winless Bundesliga away streak to 16 matches, leaving the club one game away from tying an unwanted club record set during the 2003-04 relegation season.
How close is 1. FC Köln to the club’s away streak record?
Köln’s 1-0 loss in Frankfurt marked their 16th Bundesliga away match in series without a win. The record stands at 17 winless matches on the road, a benchmark established during the 2003-04 campaign when an 18-year-old Lukas Podolski played for the team. Wagner and his current squad can equal that 17-game record on November 1 when they travel to face Union Berlin.
Prior to the setback at Frankfurt, Köln also suffered away defeats earlier in the season against Hamburger SV by a 2-1 margin and VfB Stuttgart with a 4-1 scoreline. The repeated struggles away from home have become a habit for the team.
What did Saïd El Mala and Marvin Schwäbe say about the collapse in Frankfurt?
El Mala, who was a derby hero a week prior in a 2-1 victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach, noted that Frankfurt appeared disjointed early on. “Frankfurt was so dead before halftime that we already had a good feeling,” El Mala said. “Frankfurt was on the other hand more gripping. That is football. An unfortunate action through the legs and then we stand here with the 0-1.” Aside from a 50-meter solo run shortly before the break, El Mala endured a disappointing evening.
Marvin Schwäbe directed sharp criticism at his teammates following the decisive goal. Younes Ebnoutalib scored in the 77th minute to secure the victory. “The conceding goal was more escort duty than us getting into a duel,” Schwäbe said, assessing the match-winning sequence. Schwäbe added: “Our second half was definitely not as good as the first.”
Why has René Wagner struggled to find solutions on the road?
René Wagner remains without an away victory and has yet to engineer a clean sheet since the start of the season. When questioned about the cause at the sidelines, Wagner admitted uncertainty. “Good question. If I had an answer that is so precise, I would have changed it long ago. We work hard on it every week,” Wagner said.
When do Köln play next in the Bundesliga?
1. FC Köln will travel to face Union Berlin on November 1, where they will have the opportunity to equal the club’s 17-game winless away record dating back to the 2003-04 season.
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