BERLIN, April 15 (Reuters) – Cologne carried on under new
coach Frank Schaefer where they had left off under his sacked
predecessor Stale Solbakken, capitulating meekly to a 3-0 defeat
at Borussia Moenchengladbach on Sunday.
Solbakken was fired on Thursday, two days after a 4-0
hammering at Mainz 05, but it made little difference as Juan
Arango, Tony Jantschke and Marco Reus scored to push Cologne
closer towards the second division.
Cologne are in 16th, the relegation playoff spot, and sit
four points adrift of Augsburg in 15th with three matches left.
The Billy Goats have lost five of their last six games,
conceding (20) goals along the way.
Fourth-placed Gladbach, who flirted with relegation
themselves last year, boosted their chances of claiming an
automatic place in the Champions League next season by moving
within one point of third-placed Schalke 04.
Fourth place would earn them a place in the Champions League
qualifying rounds.
Schaefer, who stepped down as Cologne coach a year ago,
barely had time to get comfortable before Venezuela forward
Arango curled a free kick over the wall and into the top corner
after 19 minutes.
Cologne have the worst defensive record in the Bundesliga
and more calamitous defending left Mike Hanke with a clear
chance in the 32nd minute but he shot straight at Michael
Rensing.
There was no let off in the 53rd minute when Reus floated a
free kick into the area and Jantschke beat his marker to the
ball to head in his first Bundesliga goal since December 2008.
Two minutes later, Reus collected the ball on the edge of
the penalty area, slipped the ball through the legs of one
defender, repeated the trick with another and placed his shot
wide of Rensing for the third – the 66th goal Cologne have
conceded in the league this season.
(Writing by Brian Homewood; Editing by Mark Meadows)
