2. Bundesliga
Cologne squandered a 3-0 lead as Karlsruhe battled back for a 4-4 draw in a brilliant 2. Bundesliga clash. Marvin Wanitzek netted a hat-trick for the visitors in a thrilling comeback.
The match exploded into life with Cologne racing out of the blocks. Just three minutes in, Luca Waldschmidt sent the home crowd into raptures, hammering a thunderous shot into the roof of the net from a tight angle. The Billy Goats were far from done, and in the seventh minute, they doubled their lead. Leart Paqarada launched a long ball from his own half, finding Damion Downs who coolly slotted past the onrushing Weiß. The RheinEnergieStadion was in dreamland when Downs struck again in the 15th minute, curling a beautiful shot into the right corner to make it 3-0. It seemed Köln were on course for a comfortable victory, but Karlsruhe had other ideas. In the 19th minute, Marvin Wanitzek pounced on a loose ball in the box, hammering home to give the visitors a lifeline. In the 27th minute when Wanitzek struck again, this time with a beautiful curling effort that nestled in the right side of the goal. Suddenly, at 3-2, the match was wide open, and the first half wasn't done providing drama. In the second minute of stoppage time, Linton Maina found space on the left wing and delivered a low cross into the box. Tim Lemperle had timed his run perfectly, sliding in to slot home from close range and restore Köln's two-goal cushion with a 4-2 lead.
If the first half was a rollercoaster, the second half proved to be equally thrilling. Karlsruhe came out with renewed determination, and in the 52nd minute, they reduced the deficit once more. Wanitzek turned provider this time, swinging in a corner that Leon Jensen met with a powerful header, leaving Urbig with no chance. The momentum had shifted, and just three minutes later, Karlsruhe found their equalizer. It was that man Wanitzek again, completing his hat-trick with a long-range effort that somehow found its way through a crowd of players and into the bottom corner. From 3-0 down, Karlsruhe had fought back to level the match at 4-4 - a result that felt like a victory for Karlsruhe given their early deficit, and a disappointment for Köln who had let such a commanding lead slip.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Cologne 1.636 - Karlsruhe 2.3163
Fastest player: Leart Paqarada (Cologne), 32.59 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 4-4 by Marvin Wanitzek (Karlsruhe), 2.61 percent
Most pressed player: Linton Maina (Cologne), 23 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Leart Paqarada (Cologne), +3.32