Substitute Thijs Dallinga scores twice as Cologne come from behind to beat Hoffenheim 3-2
Cologne trailed 2-1 with 20 minutes left. Then Thijs Dallinga, on his Bundesliga debut off the bench, scored on 72 and 82 minutes to turn it around at the RheinEnergieSTADION.
Cologne marked their return to the Bundesliga with a comeback. Down 2-1 to Hoffenheim with 20 minutes to go, they sent on Thijs Dallinga, and the loan signing scored twice inside 10 minutes to win it 3-2 at the RheinEnergieSTADION.
Adam Daghim had put Hoffenheim ahead on 27 minutes, set up by Bambasé Conté. Saïd El Mala levelled early in the second half, but Ozan Kabak nodded Hoffenheim back in front on 67 from a Vladimír Coufal cross. In between, Cologne keeper Marvin Schwäbe saved a Max Moerstedt penalty on 57 minutes — the moment the hosts point to.
Dallinga off the bench
Introduced on 65, Dallinga needed seven minutes to equalise, sweeping in Linton Maina's cross. On 82 he pounced on a loose ball to make it 3-2, and Cologne held on. He was voted man of the match.
Match facts
- 27' — Adam Daghim (Hoffenheim), assisted by Bambasé Conté
- 51' — Saïd El Mala (Cologne)
- 57' — Max Moerstedt (Hoffenheim) penalty saved by Marvin Schwäbe
- 67' — Ozan Kabak (Hoffenheim), assisted by Vladimír Coufal
- 72' — Thijs Dallinga (Cologne), assisted by Linton Maina
- 82' — Thijs Dallinga (Cologne)
| Stat | Cologne | Hoffenheim |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 41% | 59% |
| Total shots | 10 | 9 |
| Shots on target | 6 | 3 |
| Fouls | 11 | 14 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 2.22 | 1.86 |
Hoffenheim had the ball more but not the cutting edge — six shots on target to three, and a penalty missed, is how a team loses a game it led twice.
What's next
The Bundesliga table stays in flux until matchday 1 wraps up, but three points on their top-flight return lifts Cologne into the upper half of the opening-weekend standings, while Hoffenheim start on zero. Matchday 2 is next weekend.
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