Bitter cup defeat for Cologne: Leverkusen turns the game around at the last minute!

Bitter cup defeat for Cologne: Leverkusen turns the game around at the last minute!

There was a breathtaking quarter-final in the DFB Cup when 1. FC Köln ultimately lost 3-2 in extra time after taking a 2-0 lead against Bayer Leverkusen. The FC, led by coach Gerhard Struber, got off to a dream start. After two early goals, scored by Damion Downs and Linton Maina, the underdogs seemed well on their way to completing the sensation laola1.at reported. The Cologne team held firm for a long time against the favored Leverkusen, who hardly created any clear chances despite 75 percent possession of the ball in the first half, and only a shot on the crossbar by Alejandro Grimaldo remained dangerous until the break.

After the break, Bayer managed to catch up relatively quickly through Patrik Schick, who scored the first goal in the 61st minute. The final phase was dramatic when Schick made it 2-2 in the sixth minute of injury time, forcing extra time. In extra time it was Victor Boniface who decisively turned the game around in the 98th minute to make it 3-2 for Leverkusen. Although Cologne had a chance to equalize, a supposed goal by Imad Rondić in the 112th minute was canceled by VAR due to an offside decision, reported t-online.de.

The game was characterized by intense duels and passionate commitment from both teams. The Cologne fans in particular caused a stir with pyrotechnics before the game began, which led to a break in the game for more than ten minutes. Despite the early setback, FC showed that they would not simply admit defeat and gave the defending champions a thrilling duel that will go down in football history.