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Sinsheim (dpa) - Coach Markus Gisdol has suffered a major setback in the relegation battle with 1. FC Köln at his former place of work.
His team lost to TSG 1899 Hoffenheim on Sunday at the end of the first match day in the second half of the season with 0: 3 (0: 2).
In the empty Sinsheim stadium, Andrej Kramaric crowned himself two penalty kicks (7th and 75th minute) and his 72nd and 73rd goal as the Croatian record scorer in the Bundesliga.
In addition, Christoph Baumgartner (28th) met for the Kraichgauer.
In the 78th minute, Hoffenheim's goalkeeper Oliver Baumann held a penalty from Anthony Modeste.
Thus, the Cologne team missed the possible jump in the table from relegation place to 14th place. The gap to penultimate Mainz remains at five points, to the saving 15th place there are two.
In any case, the momentum of the last minute victory at Schalke fizzled out on Sunday.
The Hoffenheim team of head coach Sebastian Hoeneß is getting better and better a week before the game at Bayern Munich, which they surprisingly won 4-1 in the first leg.
At the location of his first Bundesliga engagement (April 2013 to October 2015), Gisdol first saw how an enthusiastic and confident TSG team was causing problems for his Cologne team.
Visibly inspired by the redeeming 3-0 at Hertha BSC, Hoffenheim let the ball run.
Above all, Kramaric, Baumgartner, Sebastian Rudy and the 18-year-old home grown Marco John stood out.
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When striker Ihlas Bebou pulled in the penalty area for the first time, Sava-Arangel Cestic blocked the leather unhappily with his hand.
For the seventh time this season and thus more often than any other team, the Cologne team caused a penalty.
As usual, Kramaric made it 1-0 - his eleventh goal of the season.
In doing so, he outstripped his compatriot and ex-professional Ivica Olic (Hamburger SV, FC Bayern Munich, VfL Wolfsburg / 72 goals).
After less than half an hour, the oppressively superior hosts stepped up: Baumgartner steered the ball into Timo Horn's case after a shot by Mijat Gacinovic.
On the other side, however, Baumann prevented the connection goal with a lightning reaction against Marius Wolf.
And just before the half-time whistle, the offensive man headed the post.
Warned by these massive attacks, Hoffenheim approached the second half a little more cautiously.
Cologne conquered more and more parts of the game, but missed the last dangerous action in front of the opposing goal.
In addition, the Norwegian Havard Nordtveit convinced TSG as head of defense and representative of the injured Kevin Vogt.
Substitute striker Anthony Modeste was not covered in fame either: first he caused Kramaric to take the 3-0 penalty, then he failed from the point on Baumann.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210124-99-153702 / 2