Hoffenheim are in contention for European play after a win over Cologne. Getty Images
Hoffenheim snapped a seven-game winless run in the Bundesliga with an entertaining 3-1 victory over visitors Cologne on Wednesday as both teams ended the game with 10 men and the hosts moved back into European contention.
- ESPN+: Stream ESPN FC TV daily and 30 for 30: Soccer Stories
The win lifted Hoffenheim into seventh place on 39 points with six games left in the season which restarted 11 days ago after a break of more than two months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All matches are played without spectators to minimise the risk of infection.
Christoph Baumgartner scored early in each half to give Hoffenheim a two-goal lead with Cologne a man down after Sebastiaan Bornauw was sent off with a red card for a violent challenge in the 26th minute.
Steven Zuber added a third in the 48th but the numerical balance was restored when Benjamin Huebner got his marching orders following a second booking for a clumsy foul on Cologne's Dominick Drexler two minutes later.
The visitors pulled a goal back through Florian Kainz's deflected shot on the hour and could have scored again but Mark Uth's penalty was saved by Oliver Baumann.
Source: espn.co.uk