Damion Downs has scored in injury time to keep alive Cologne’s Bundesliga survival hopes with a 3-2 home win over Union Berlin, who themselves have now dropped into the relegation zone with one round remaining.
Cologne had to win to have any hope of escaping the drop, and the team came from two goals down to defer their fate until next weekend.
It was the first time Union had ever lost a Bundesliga game after enjoying a two-goal lead, and the capitulation came despite the club firing Nenad Bjelica as coach on Monday and reappointing Marco Grote as interim coach.
“The path hasn’t changed. It’s clear that it hasn’t gotten any easier because we lost,” Grote said.
Mainz capitalised on Union’s defeat by beating Borussia Dortmund 3-0 in the late game to leave the relegation play-off spot.
Dortmund made 10 changes to the starting XI that defeated Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League semi-final on Tuesday — and few were able to make their case to play in the final against Real Madrid on June 1.
Mainz raced into a three-goal lead and could have scored more, with Dortmund coach Edin Terzic making three changes at the break.
In contrast to Mainz, Union were unable to build on their early dominance as Steffen Tigges equalised in the 87th minute for Cologne, before Downs headed the winner in the third minute of stoppage time.
“The three points are super important, and now we have a final on the last day,” said Cologne’s Timo Hubers, whose team face promoted Heidenheim away next weekend.
Ellsewhere, Freiburg drew with Heidenheim 1-1 in Christian Streich’s last home game in charge after more than 12 years as the Freiburg coach.
Streich is the Bundesliga’s longest-serving coach but he said in March he will step down at the end of the season. His final game is at Union Berlin next weekend.
Leipzig drew 1-1 with Werder Bremen while Borussia Monchengladbach and Eintracht Frankfurt played out the same score.
Source Agencies
