The 1. FC Köln suffered a 2-1 defeat at home to VfB Stuttgart in a Bundesliga matchday five encounter.
Köln started the game with a dream start, taking the lead in the fourth minute. A pass from Ache found Kaminski, who was unmarked on the left and his shot proved unstoppable for goalkeeper Nübel. Ache himself had a chance to extend the lead just minutes later, but his effort grazed the side of the net and was cleared off the line.
However, Stuttgart gradually gained a foothold in the match and their persistence was rewarded in the 28th minute. A foul by Schwäbe on Demirovic inside the penalty area resulted in a penalty, which Demirovic himself confidently converted to equalize. This scoreline remained unchanged until halftime.
Following the interval, Tiago Tomas had an early opportunity for Stuttgart, but his attempted backheel from a corner in the 52nd minute narrowly missed the target. While Köln showed greater activity, they lacked the necessary precision to regain the lead. Stuttgart almost capitalized on this in the 70th minute when a quickly taken free-kick from Stiller found Tomas, but his shot struck the crossbar.
Köln intensified their efforts in the final stages. A promising opportunity for substitute “El Mala” was thwarted by Nübel in the 77th minute and Kaminski’s header from a corner was cleared off the line by Mittelstädt just a minute later. Ultimately, it was Stuttgart who found the decisive breakthrough. In the 81st minute, Stiller’s pass found Vagnoman, who calmly slotted the ball past Schwäbe.
Despite this setback, Köln continued to press for an equalizer, but were unable to break down Stuttgart’s well-organized defense. The visitors secured all three points, earning a deserved victory against a spirited Cologne side.
