There was a big shock in the 2. Bundesliga in the final game before the international break as MSV Duisburg moved off the bottom with a 2-1 win at leaders 1. FC Köln.
Cauly Oliveira Souza gave the Zebras a shock lead, and although Jonas Hector equalised before half-time, the Billy Goats didn’t build on that and lost to a Matthias Bader own goal.
Story of the match
Duisburg were playing under new coach Torsten Lieberknecht for the first time and they immediately looked a refreshed side, even if the only change from their 3-1 defeat to SSV Jahn Regsenburg was to bring in Oliveira Souza for Ahmet Engin. He had their first chance, capitalising on a mistake the back before his shot was saved by Timo Horn. They were thoroughly on top in the first ten minutes, and when Hector headed a corner straight to Oliveira Souza, his low strike got through everyone in the box, including Horn, and the Zebras led.
The Billy Goats, by contrast, looked anything but league leaders, giving the ball away before and after the goal and posing little threat to the Duisburg goal. The game had a number of flashpoints as well, a reminder that this was a local derby. The hosts did draw level eventually there – Lasse Sobiech got his head on a corner, finding that of his captain Hector, who headed home.
They had barely deserved to be level, and could have been behind again before the break. From a corner, Dustin Bomheuer did everything but score, heading on target, only to see Horn react outstandingly to push the ball onto the bar. Stanislav Iljutcenko came close too, shooting wide after Marco Höger had given the ball away. He then missed a great chance early in the second half – after a cross from Joseph-Claude Gyau was flicked on, he missed the ball and watched on as Vincent Koziello cleared.
As the second half progressed, Köln began to push one. Louis Schaub struck wide after coming in from the left, whilst Dominick Drexler set up a rare chance for Simon Terodde, yet his shot was only saved by Daniel Mesenhöher. The Zebras were far from tamed though, and they would stun the home crowd as they took the lead again. Substitute Engin crossed in to Oliveira Souza, yet he missed it and the ball collided off a diving Bader, taking it past Horn.
Another mistake presented an opportunity for Duisburg to get a third, but Fabian Schnellhardt’s shot deflected away from danger via Rafael Czichos. Köln went in search of another equaliser, but it wouldn’t come. Terodde, Schaub and Sobiech all had chances, but their side just hadn’t been good enough and Duisburg would be celebrating their first three points of the season, moving them off the bottom in the process. Köln still lead, but four other sides, including Hamburger SV, are breathing down their neck.
<div class="getty embed image" style="background-color:#fff;display:inline-block;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:#a7a7a7;font-size:11px;width:100%;max-width:594px;"><div style="padding:0;margin:0;text-align:left;"><a href="http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/1047695416" target="_blank" style="color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;">Embed from Getty Images</a></div><div style="overflow:hidden;position:relative;height:0;padding:55.555557% 0 0 0;width:100%;"><iframe src="//embed.gettyimages.com/embed/1047695416?et=ruKqTIMGSFBZmtrg8y5CBw&tld=co.uk&sig=tHtkVZh5U39YJB3pQ8rR3vvwN5u9Xagv3e4kYWHQGIw=&caption=true&ver=1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" width="594" height="330" style="display:inline-block;position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;margin:0;"></iframe></div></div>
Takeaways from the game
Lieberknecht and Duisburg seek redemption
Lieberknecht seemed powerless as his beloved Eintracht Braunschweig slipped out of the league last season, yet with Duisburg he has the chance to move on and redeem himself from that shock relegation. His players too were in need of a fresh start, and whilst little change in terms of personnel here, he has clearly spent the full week he had to rejuvenate them, allowing them to record a massive three points to kick-start their season. It’s just a shame for them that they have to wait a full two weeks to play again, another Monday night game at home to FC St. Pauli.
Billy Goats not invincible
Köln are undoubtedly the best team in the league, although Duisburg have shown, as SC Paderborn 07 did before them, that they are not infallible, and are there to be exposed. They were guilty of underestimating their opponents, who came into the game bottom of the league yet appeared inspired by their new coach and playing in a packed Müngersdorfer Stadion. They will surely still go up automatically, but there is hope for the rest of the league.
<div class="getty embed image" style="background-color:#fff;display:inline-block;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:#a7a7a7;font-size:11px;width:100%;max-width:594px;"><div style="padding:0;margin:0;text-align:left;"><a href="http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/1047735122" target="_blank" style="color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;">Embed from Getty Images</a></div><div style="overflow:hidden;position:relative;height:0;padding:63.636364% 0 0 0;width:100%;"><iframe src="//embed.gettyimages.com/embed/1047735122?et=etmQ8loHRj1GqxK_NQRZhg&tld=co.uk&sig=yxtsix-s5R6oufcQTzHmyal41ZjvcVbPu4nu35J0Yqk=&caption=true&ver=1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" width="594" height="378" style="display:inline-block;position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;margin:0;"></iframe></div></div>
Stand-out players
Oliveira Souza was the standout player as the visitors caused a shock, scoring the first goal and helping to force the mistake from Bader for the second. Boris Tashchy also thrived in what appeared to be a deeper role. Few Köln players came out of the game with credit, but Sobiech provided stability at the back once more. Horn delivered a world class save but might have will have been disappointed with the goals he conceded.