football match reviews:Cologne 4-1 Freiburg

Marius Bulter delivered a match-winning performance with a goal and two assists as Cologne defeated Freiburg 4-1 to make it two wins from two in the Bundesliga since their return.

Cologne 4-1 Freiburg
Goals: 1-0 Kamiński 35′ (assist: Bülter), 2-0 Bülter 47′ (assist: Thielmann), 3-0 Thielmann 57′ (assist: Bülter), 4-0 El Mala 81′, 4-1 Eggestein 84′ (assist: Günter)

Recently promoted Cologne welcomed Freiburg to the RheinEnergieStadion looking to build on their impressive 1-0 opening weekend win at Mainz.

Freiburg, meanwhile, suffered a 3-1 defeat to Augsburg and were seeking their first points of the season, with Julian Schuster keeping faith in the same starting eleven.

The first half saw Freiburg enjoy 61% possession, but it was the hosts who created the better chances.

After both Kristoffer Lund and Jan Thielmann had missed opportunities, Cologne’s pressure finally told in the 35th minute. Marius Bülter delivered a perfect cross from the right and Jakub Kamiński was on hand to volley home from close range.

The Billy Goats nearly doubled their advantage just before the break, but Sebastian Sebulonsen’s effort flew wide, leaving the score at 1-0 at half-time.

Cologne wasted no time extending their lead after the interval. In the 47th minute, Thielmann floated a perfect cross to the far post where Bülter arrived unmarked to head past Noah Atubolu.

The hosts were in dreamland 10 minutes later when the roles were reversed, with Bülter setting up Thielmann who finished confidently to make it 3-0.

Substitute Saïd El Mala, who replaced Thielmann, added a fourth with a thunderous strike from the edge of the box.

Freiburg did manage a consolation three minutes later when Maximilian Eggestein headed home from Christian Günter’s cross, but it was far too late to affect the outcome as Cologne secured back-to-back Bundesliga wins for the first time since 2005/06.

Man of the Match: Marius Bülter

Bülter produced a masterclass performance that was pivotal to Cologne’s emphatic victory. The summer signing was directly involved in three of his team’s four goals, scoring one himself and providing two assists.

His goal early in the second half – a well-placed header from Thielmann’s cross – gave Cologne a commanding lead, while his assists for Kamiński and Thielmann showcased both his crossing ability and vision.

Beyond his goal contributions, Bülter registered the highest pass efficiency (2.38) of any Cologne player and worked tirelessly throughout, earning him a deserved standing ovation when substituted in the 76th minute.