FC Cologne secured a 2-1 victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach in their Bundesliga Round 5 encounter at the RheinEnergieStadion on Sunday, with Said El Mala scoring the decisive goal in the second half.
The hosts took the lead in the 26th minute when Ísak Bergmann Jóhannesson converted a set-piece opportunity with a left-footed strike into the top-left corner.
Borussia Mönchengladbach responded in the 39th minute through Joe Scally, who headed home to restore parity before half-time.
Cologne regained the advantage in the 67th minute when Linton Maina set up El Mala, who finished low into the right side of the goal following a quick counterattack.
The goal proved decisive as the hosts held on despite late pressure from the visitors.
Goalkeeper Marvin Schwäbe played a crucial role in Köln’s victory, making six saves to deny Gladbach on several occasions.
His performance helped the home side preserve their lead, particularly as the visitors continued to search for an equaliser.
Although Gladbach enjoyed 52 per cent possession and recorded 65 entries into the final third compared with Köln’s 46, they struggled to turn their territorial advantage into goals.
Cologne registered 20 shots against the visitors’ 16, with both teams recording seven efforts on target.
Cologne also dominated the defensive statistics, winning 61 per cent of their duels and making 22 tackles, compared with Gladbach’s 10.
The hosts’ defensive organisation proved important as they dealt with the visitors’ attempts to find a late equaliser.
The victory gives Köln an encouraging result early in the Bundesliga season, while Gladbach will rue their inability to convert their attacking opportunities into points.
