After a joker goal, 1. FC Köln are facing their seventh relegation from the Bundesliga, while Holstein Kiel's first promotion is within their grasp.

The second division club, which could become the first Bundesliga club from Schleswig-Holstein, won the competitive relegation first leg this Wednesday in Cologne 1-0 (0-0) and thus has a brilliant starting position for the second leg on Saturday in Kiel.

Defender Simon Lorenz scored the goal for the storks, who were physically badly strained after a mammoth program as a result of two corona quarantines, with his first ball contact 20 seconds after the substitution (59th).

After the just secured jump to 16th place, the Cologne team demonstrated self-confidence to the outside world, but hardly took any action.

This time it was quieter around the stadium than before the Schalke game on Saturday.

Although sirens, helicopters and announcements could be heard via megaphone during the game and occasional pyrotechnics were ignited, according to the police, everything remained peaceful until the final whistle.

At Kiel, the Cologne loan from Niklas Hauptmann slipped into the starting line-up in the game at his home club for the suspended Alexander Mühling. In addition, coach Ole Werner put Ioannis Gelios back into goal. The actual regular goalkeeper was canceled six games due to a corona infection and initially did not return to goal in the two games afterwards, "because we had a good rhythm," said Werner on the DAZN streaming service. Now he changed after all, “because we weren't lucky in the end”.

In Cologne, striker Sebastian Andersson, who suffered from permanent knee problems, made it into the squad. According to sports director Horst Heldt, FC had the plan to "step on the gas right from the start". But the favorite didn't get going at all at first, looked nervous and agitated and acted far too passively. The second division was better and had the first chances through Finn Porath (12th) and Hauptmann (18th).

It was again Captain Jonas Hector who woke the people of Cologne out of their lethargy.

First his shot from an acute angle was deflected onto the goal net after his own capture of the ball (30th).

At the next corner, Kiel were lucky that referee Felix Zwayer saw a foul in the duel between Hector and Gelios.

Just like a red worthy foul by Aleksandar Ignjovski against Ondrej Duda (45th).

Now Cologne pressed, Duda (45th + 2) came closest to the goal.

Even after the change, Cologne only seemed to have the trigger, but then Werner brought Lorenz and he hit with his head after the directly following corner.

After 65 minutes, FC coach Friedhelm Funkel brought Andersson.

But Kiel remained dangerous.

In the 78th minute, Janni Serra headed the ball to the crossbar of the Cologne goal.

Then the second division club defended the narrow lead with many legs.