Confidence boosted by gritty win

Cologne's tabloid newspapers issued a surprisingly damning indictment. "The fact there are three more points on the board after those 90 minutes of shambolic boredom is about as fortunate as winning the lottery," wrote the EXPRESS after 1. FC Cologne had claimed a 2-1 victory at bottom club Schalke 04. That said, the away win had eminently important implications for the Billy Goats' position in the table ahead of their meeting with TSG (Sunday at 18:00 CET/Live Ticker at tsg-hoffenheim.de). Cologne, who now sit 16th in the play-off place, are eight points clear of rivals Mainz and Schalke, who both occupy the two direct relegation berths with seven points apiece.

The three points came at the right time. The men from the Rhineland had picked up only two wins in their 26 Bundesliga matches prior to their extremely fortunate win in Gelsenkirchen, which was sealed by 18-year-old Jan Thielmann's goal in stoppage time. For Effzeh coach and former Hoffenheim tactician Markus Gisdol, the triumph away to basements boys Schalke prompted a mixture of palpable relief and hope of an upturn in fortunes. "That was a great victory for us and it'll really do the team good," Gisdol declared. Sporting director Horst Heldt, meanwhile, described it as a "real gritty win", adding: "I'm happy that the team withstood the pressure." For the pressure is palpable and visible. "It was not a nice game of football to watch," admitted newcomer Marius Wolf bluntly. "But it's a relegation fight every week, so it doesn't matter how we get the points."

Cologne's current shortcoming was clearly recognisable against Schalke, however: the Billy Goats are having major difficulties finding solutions from open play or making any kind of impact going forward. Prior to beating their relegation rivals, Cologne had failed to find the net in five consecutive games. The Cathedral City club reacted to last summer's departure of Jhon Cordoba, who joined Hertha BSC, by signing Sebastian Andersson from Union Berlin. But persistent knee problems have meant the Swede could not adequately fill Cordoba's boots and he is now sidelined for the foreseeable future with a bone marrow oedema. Former Hoffenheim forward Anthony Modeste seemingly does not fulfil the requirements of coach Markus Gisdol either, who mostly chooses to play with a "false nine" model that does not include a recognised striker. This role leading the line tends to fall to midfield players such as Ondrej Duda, Dominick Drexler or Marius Wolf.

One strength was on show in that victory, though: dead balls. The Billy Goats have netted six goals from set-piece situations this season, which corresponds to 40% of all their goals – the highest proportion in the league. In Gelsenkirchen, it was defender Rafael Czichos who threw himself into the path of Drexler's shot following a short corner and headed his side into the lead. Hoffenheim should therefore be wary of their opponents, who have also proven that they are a formidable force on the road. All three of Cologne's victories this season (Dortmund, Mainz, Schalke) have come on opposition soil, where they have taken eight points out of the last 12 available. It will be down to TSG to stop Effzeh extending that impressive record on Sunday.

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