Köln Upset Wolfsburg’s Birthday Party With Latest Ever Bundesliga Goal | Andy Brassell

“I thought we sewage disconnected to a bully commencement until nan thunderstorm.” In discourse it was a standard, anodyne, flat-batted reply by Köln’s Marius Bülter arsenic he strove to analyse his team’s efforts. Quite unwittingly, it captured nan chaos of nan day perfectly. It was an day that was expected to beryllium astir VfL Wolfsburg arsenic nan nine celebrated their 80th day pinch arsenic overmuch flourish arsenic this business area of Lower Saxony could muster, pinch billowing clouds of greenish and achromatic fume accompanying nine legends including 2009 champion Grafite and iconic defender Naldo starring nan squad connected to nan transportation successful beforehand of a (rare) sold-out crowd.

Yet typically Köln, nan nine that does shot play for illustration fewer others, rudely barged successful and made it each astir themselves. In Lukas Kwasniok they person a caller coach who, for illustration nan club’s champion down nan years, knows really to thin into nan emotion and Effzeh are already an invigorating watch. As they trailed 2-1 going into stoppage time, Kwasniok had thrown attacking substitutes specified arsenic Ragnar Ache and nan lively teen Said El Mala into nan operation to make thing happen. Little did nan coach cognize his squad would person to equalise not conscionable once, but doubly successful that period.

But Köln did truthful with, of each people, Jakub Kaminski, netting nan last leveller correct astatine nan extremity to make it 3-3. Still owned by Wolfsburg but presently connected indebtedness to Köln, nan Poland winger had not scored successful either of his past 2 seasons astatine nan Volkswagen Arena. His crisp decorativeness connected nan rotation deed nan nett 13 minutes and 35 seconds into stoppage time, nan latest extremity successful nan Bundesliga since added minutes started being officially timed backmost successful 1992, and it was his 2nd already for his caller club. Kaminski looked sheepish arsenic his caller teammates went wild.

So alternatively of celebrating successful beforehand of nan location support and taking nan plaudits, skipper and nine fable Max Arnold spent nan play aft nan last whistle successful animated chat pinch nan hardcore support down nan goal. A fortnight aft letting successful a precocious equaliser present against Mainz, this extended Die Wölfe’s existent winless tally astatine location successful nan Bundesliga to 10. “Maybe,” suggested a circumspect Arnold, whose sensational free-kick successful nan ninth infinitesimal of added clip had looked for illustration being nan fairytale winner, “the vexation needed to beryllium released from some sides.”

And though they were happy – pinch smiling Wolfsburg faces among nan day celebrations and nan preamble of caller signing Christian Eriksen, connected nan chair and joining nan sizeable Danish contingent astatine nan nine – location is still plentifulness to ponder for caller coach Paul Simonis, an absorbing assignment having improbably won nan KNVB Beker pinch Go Ahead Eagles arsenic a first-time caput coach.

The scoreboard astatine Wolfsburg showing 3 goals scored successful added time. Photograph: Sebastian El-Saqqa/firo sportphoto/Getty Images

The 40-year-old is entering a different realm of anticipation and unit here, not conscionable because of Grafite, Edin Dzeko and a glorious past, but because of everything present being connected a different scale. Simonis has a budget, large names and egos to manage, pinch Mohammed Amoura licking his wounds aft a move to Benfica grounded to go actual (though he did caput nan opener here).

After a crazy early play crippled for illustration this, disrupted by prolonged VAR checks and referee Bastian Dankert ordering nan players disconnected to return screen from a thunderstorm for much than 10 minutes, it’s champion not to tie immoderate definitive conclusions. Köln, readapting to nan apical league, are grateful to beryllium capable to make transfers astatine all, and it will person fixed them pleasance to spot newbies specified arsenic substitutes Ísak Jóhannesson (who scored nan extremity for 2-2) and Ache (who group up Kamniski’s goal) measurement in. Pleasure that, arsenic always, they are much than happy to taxable to. The upwind tin move astatine immoderate moment, arsenic Köln cognize only excessively well, truthful it’s champion to make nan astir of clear skies while you can.

Talking points

Leverkusen are up and moving post-Erik 10 Hag and person each correct to consciousness buoyant aft digging successful to hit frankincense acold awesome Eintracht Frankfurt successful a Friday nighttime thriller. The triumph was underpinned by 2 master Alejandro Grimaldo free-kicks but aft conscionable 2 days of training nether caller coach Kasper Hjulmand it was astir grit and graft. “Hjulmand hadn’t prepared gourmet shot pinch his team,” wrote Kicker’s Stephen von Nocks, “but pinch home-style cooking made from elemental ingredients uncharacteristic of Bayer 04.” They were compact, “intense” (as nan fantabulous Nathan Tella told ESPN) and snappy – sometimes excessively overmuch truthful pinch skipper Robert Andrich and his replacement, debutant Equi Fernández, some dismissed for 2 yellowish cards, meaning they had 9 men by nan clip Grimaldo scored a sublime 3rd Leverkusen extremity successful stoppage clip to seal it. “This each sounds for illustration I’m talking astir younker football,” smiled Mark Flekken, “but that’s conscionable really it is. The basics person to beryllium there.”

Can Uzun of Eintracht Frankfurt scores against Leverkusen but nan 2023-24 champions held connected for a 3-1 win. Photograph: Lars Baron/Getty Images

Few are much delighted to spot Hamburg backmost successful nan apical formation than Bayern Munich aft 7 years away; connected their erstwhile 8 visits to nan Allianz Arena earlier this weekend, HSV had shipped an astonishing 50 goals. So they mightiness beryllium emotion chipper this Monday that they only conceded 5 successful their latest drubbing, pinch a larger shellacking looking apt erstwhile they were deed by a Serge Gnabry rocket successful nan 3rd infinitesimal and erstwhile they trailed 4-0 astatine half-time. It was a baptism of occurrence for 18-year-old Luka Vuskovic, connected indebtedness from Tottenham, who debuted having not yet met a mates of his teammates owed to nan world break, though nan relationship of his presently suspended elder relative Mario pinch nan nine has aided his early adaptation.

Dortmund gobbled up a regular 2-0 triumph astatine 10-man Heidenheim but their travelling fans weren’t happy, chiefly connected relationship of their caller distant jersey, aliases Das Grausamste Trikot der Liga (the astir horrible garment successful nan league) arsenic it was described by a immense banner successful nan visitors’ section. “Borussia will enactment achromatic and yellow,” said different of nan grey garment (with conscionable splashes of achromatic and yellow). It has, according to nine figures, already sold complete 5,000 from nan nine megastore, astir successful statement pinch erstwhile distant kits.

Dortmund’s caller distant garment has not been celebrated pinch matchgoing fans. Photograph: Christian Kaspar-Bartke/Getty Images

Leipzig person mislaid a batch of apical statement talent this summertime but it felt arsenic if location was renewed tone successful nan campy arsenic they won 1-0 astatine Mainz pinch a first extremity for nan nine by Johan Bakayoko, 1 of nan caller generation. Post-Benjamin Sesko and Xavi it feels for illustration location is simply a weight lifted from Leipzig shoulders – possibly recalling their erstwhile coach Julian Nagelsmann’s words astir perchance calling up players “with little value who will springiness everything connected nan pitch” for Germany aft nan nonaccomplishment successful Slovakia. Not that Ole Werner’s broadside are short connected expertise (and nan opening games of teenage winger Yan Diomandé person been very promising) but this is simply a fascinating work-in-progress.

No goals and nary wins truthful acold this Bundesliga season; Borussia Mönchengladbach already look successful large problem and Sunday’s 4-0 location conclusion by Werder Bremen could person been overmuch worse, pinch debutant Victor Boniface only fresh for a cameo (though already providing an assistance for Justin Njinmah) for nan visitors. Coach Gerardo Seoane is connected nan brink.