Cologne stun Dortmund to end record winless run

Borussia Dortmund 1-2 Cologne
Goals: 0-1 Skhiri (9'), 0-2 Skhiri (60'), 1-2 Hazard (74')

Despite being winless in 18 games going into this game, Cologne came flying out of the blocks at Dortmund. Minutes after Jadon Sancho had struck the crossbar with a sliced shot, the away side took the lead. Marius Wolf - on loan at Cologne from Dortmund - flicked on Ondrej Duda's corner for Skhiri to tap home at the back post. The Billy Goats' gameplan was working to perfection; their intense pressing didn't afford Dortmund's attack the space to work their magic, while Ismail Jakobs and Jan Thielmann were the counter-attacking outlets. Erling Haaland had his first chance after 26 minutes but fired wide at the near post. Four minutes later Mats Hummels had the ball in Timo Horn's net with a header from Julian Brandt's cross, but his goal was ruled out for offside. Cologne didn't force Roman Bürki into any first-half saves, but they frustrated their hosts throughout the opening 45 minutes to take a deserved lead into half-time, with Dortmund failing to register a single shot on target.

Dortmund forced Horn into action for the first time just four minutes into the second half with Marco Reus' free-kick forcing an uncomfortable save. The home side continued to control the ball, but with one hour played, Cologne stunningly doubled their lead. A carbon-copy of the first goal as Duda's corner was flicked on once again by Wolf at the near post, and Skhiri was alone at the back post to control and bury his third goal in two games for the Billy Goats. Sixteen-year-old Youssoufa Moukoko came on with 20 minutes to play as Favre threw caution to the winds in an attempt to rescue something from the game. The 16-year-old found Gio Reyna - also on from the bench - who then played fellow substitute Thorgan Hazard the ball and the Belgian provided a pinpoint finish across goal past Horn. Haaland had a golden chance to equalise in the final seconds but sliced Reus' pass wide from just two yards in front of goal as Cologne held on for a fantastic first win of the campaign.

• Cologne's win ends a club-record 18 match winless run in the Bundesliga.
• Cologne coach Markus Gisdol has now won two of his 12 competitive meetings with Dortmund. Having overseen victory in his first match against the club (with Hoffenheim in May 2013), he had been on a run of three draws and seven defeats until today.
• Skhiri has scored each of Cologne’s last three goals in the Bundesliga.
• Wolf failed to assist a goal in any of his 23 appearances for Dortmund but claimed an assist today against his parent club for Cologne, with whom he is on loan for the season.
• Haaland has scored 23 times in his first 22 Bundesliga matches for BVB - nobody in the league's history has ever registered more at the same juncture.
• Feast or famine: Dortmund have not registered a draw in the league in almost a year since sharing the points in a 3-3 tie with RB Leipzig on 17 December 2019. Since then, they have won 19 and lost seven of their 26 games.

Watch: Skhiri: "We showed better spirit"

Dortmund: Bürki – Meunier (Hazard 61'), Akanji, Hummels, Passlack (Reyna 68') - Can, Witsel - Sancho, Reus (c), Brandt (Moukoko 67') - Haaland
Unused subs: Hitz, Morey, Delaney, Dahoud, Bellingham, Piszczek
Out: Reinier (not included), Schmelzer (knee), Zagadou (knee)
Coach: Lucien Favre 

Cologne: T. Horn (c) - Cestic , Bornauw, Czichos (J. Horn 66') - Skhiri - Wolf , Rexhbecaj (Drexler 74'), Özcan, Jakobs - Duda, Thielmann (Ehizibue 90'+3)
Unused subs: Zieler, Schmitz, Katterbach, Arokodare, Limnios, Modeste
Out: Andersson (knee), Hector (neck), Kainz (knee), Mere (knock)
Coach: Markus Gisdol

Watch: Hazard: "We didn't find solutions today"