Bundesliga: Cologne stuns host Dortmund 2-1 with Skhiri double, Schalke crisis continues

Borussia Dortmund suffered a shock 2-1 loss to visitor Cologne to drop four points off the pace in the Bundesliga title race.

Published : Nov 28, 2020 22:27 IST , Dortmund

Cologne's Ellyes Skhiri celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during a Bundesliga match against Borussia Dortmund.
Cologne's Ellyes Skhiri celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during a Bundesliga match against Borussia Dortmund.
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Cologne's Ellyes Skhiri celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during a Bundesliga match against Borussia Dortmund.

Borussia Dortmund suffered a shock 2-1 loss to visitors Cologne on Saturday to drop four points off the pace in the Bundesliga title race.

Cologne stunned Dortmund with an early goal when Ellyes Skhiri tapped in at the far post in the ninth minute.

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Dortmund, which had fired five goals past Hertha Berlin last week, was lacking any punch and instead it was hard-working Cologne which scored again with Tunisia international Skhiri on the hour.

Thorgan Hazard cut the deficit with a low shot in the 74th minute but despite desperate late attacks and a golden chance missed by Erling Haaland deep in stoppage time they could not get an equaliser.

Dortmund is third on 18 points, four off leader Bayern Munich and two behind RB Leipzig.

Maradona Tributes

As at other grounds around the league, players and the few workers at Union Berlin’s Stadion An der Alten Forsterei held a moment’s silence for Argentina great Diego Maradona, who died on Wednesday.

"Hasta siempre compaũero,” Union stadium announcer Christian Arbeit said.

There are no fans in Bundesliga stadiums for the rest of the year due to measures against the coronavirus.

Fans outside the ground shouted their encouragement as Marvin Andrich scored and Max Kruse followed up with a penalty to put Union two goals up after just six minutes.

But Frankfurt leveled through Andrş Silva. Bad Dost fired the visitor ahead in the 79th, and Kruse let fly from around 20 meters for Union’s equalizer in the 82nd.

Union reported after the game that four members of its coaching and support staff tested positive for the coronavirus.

Schalke crisis continues

Schalke’s turbulent week in which it suspended three players and the technical director departed ended in a rout at Gladbach.

It stretched Schalke’s club-record winning drought in the league to 25 games just six off the all-time record held by Tasmania Berlin, which now plays at the fifth level.

Schalke’s injuries, suspensions and one positive coronavirus case prompted coach Manuel Baum to start the 19-year-old American forward Matthew Hoppe for his Bundesliga debut.

Florian Neuhaus, who recently played his first games for Germany, broke the deadlock for Gladbach in the 15th.

Benito Raman equalized with a brilliant volley to Mark Uth’s lob over the Gladbach defense in the 20th, and Schalke remained the better side until Neuhaus set up Oscar Wendt in the 36th.

Marcus Thuram fired Gladbach’s third under the crossbar, and Hannes Wolf completed the visitor’s misery late.

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