Noah Katterbach (rear) of Koeln vies with Aleksandar Ignjovski of Kiel during the German Bundesliga relegation first-leg football match between FC Koeln and Holstein Kiel in Cologne, Germany, May 26, 2021. (Photo by Ulrich Hufnagel/Xinhua)
BERLIN, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Second-division outfit Holstein Kiel secured a crucial away win over top-flight Cologne thanks to the sole goal from joker Simon Lorenz in the first leg of the Bundesliga play-off on Wednesday.
The lower league side took a big step towards promotion as Lorenz, who was fielded moments earlier, snatched the winner against the flow of the game to stun Cologne on home soil.
Cologne grabbed the reins from the kick-off but lacked in penetration whereas Kiel created a half-chance out of the blue with 12 minutes gone when Finn Porath pulled wide from the edge of the box.
The hosts dominated possession and increased the pressure as the match progressed. Jonas Hector forced Kiel goalkeeper Ioannis Gelios into action in the 31st minute while Ondrej Duda missed the target just wide from a promising position in the injury time of the first half.
After the restart, Cologne continued on the front foot but it was Holstein Kiel who broke the deadlock in the 59th minute after Lorenz nodded home Jae-Sung Lee's lay-up.
Cologne pushed frenetically for the equalizer, but it was Kiel who almost doubled its lead in the 78th minute when Janni Serra rattled the woodwork following a counterattack.
The host kept it bowling and produced a double chance, but Kiel defender Phil Neumann defused Jonas Hector's free-kick on the goal line and then blocked Sebastian Andersson's rebound from very close range in the 84th minute.
Kiel's defense stood firm for the remainder of the match and ensured an advantage for the second leg on home soil against Cologne on Saturday.
"I am very satisfied with our performance. There is still one game to go. We are looking forward to it as the pressure is with Cologne," Holstein Kiel's head coach Ole Werner said.
"We weren't paying attention in one situation until then Kiel hadn't had a chance. Despite our possession, we weren't really able to produce dangerous chances. It isn't over yet the decision will be made in Kiel," Cologne's head coach Friedhelm Funkel said. Enditem
