The 1. FSV Mainz 05 and the 1. FC Köln parted with a 1:1 on Sunday evening. The visitors were the better team, especially in the first 45 minutes, but went into the dressing room trailing. After the restart, Cologne equalised quickly, but shortly before the end it was Mainz who sniffed at the winning goal.
At one point, Burkardt had a great chance to make it 2-1. The last minutes of normal time were already running, and the Mainz attacker took a shot from the penalty spot, but Kilian threw himself in between and blocked. So in the end it remained 1-1, a result that was all right, even if 1. FC Köln had been the better team in the first half.
FSV coach Bo Svensson had used the starting line-up that had already started before the international break in the 1-1 draw against Gladbach. Cologne coach Steffen Baumgart made only one change to his starting eleven after the 2:2 against Union Berlin Kilian played in the defensive centre instead of Hübers.
Köln misses three great chances
The FC started briskly and took command in the first minutes, but the visitors were unlucky in front of goal. Duda failed to beat FSV goalkeeper Zentner and then shot over the empty Mainz goal (20th), later Kilian headed past after a corner (30th), before Modeste also found his master in Zentner (35th).
Cologne were on top but failed to take their opportunities and then lost Modeste as well. Bell had hit the attacker with his knee in the hip area, Modeste could not continue playing, FC demanded the red card, but referee Deniz Aytekin left it at a warning.
Burkardt turns the game on its head
A little later the ball was suddenly in the Cologne net. For a long time Mainz had not made an offensive appearance, but then Burkardt broke through after a header extension by Onisiwo, made another hook and then scored with a well-considered low shot (41.). This turned the game on its head, but after the break the game was not yet 120 seconds old before Cologne equalised: Uth found Özcan with a half-field free kick, a header – 1-1 (47.).
Mainz were also not as gripping as usual at the start of the second half, but Cologne now found it more difficult to create goal-scoring chances. The longer the second half lasted, the more confused it became. The interruptions became more frequent, but in the end Mainz stepped up their game. Burkardt missed a great chance (88th), then substitute Szalai failed to beat FC goalkeeper Horn (90th).
The result remained 1-1, a fair result that kept Mainz unbeaten for the fifth match in a row. Already on Friday, the Nullfünfer are guests in Stuttgart, Cologne meets Borussia Mönchengladbach the next day.
