Cologne 1-1 Hoffenheim
Goals: 1-0 Kainz 13' (assist: Maina), 1-1 Bruun Larsen 36' (assist: Baumgartner)
Red card: Kabak 88'

The hosts exorcised some of the demons that haunted the club following last weekend's 5-0 drubbing at the hands of Mainz by winning a rescheduled UEFA Europa Conference League game against Slovacko on Friday. It was here against Hoffenheim, however, that coach Steffen Baumgart urged his players to engineer a suitable response to Matchday 11's humbling. And respond Cologne did, the Billy Goats scoring inside the opening quarter of an hour for the first time this season. Linton Maina's quick feet on the flank produced the cross that Kainz converted for his fifth goal of the campaign. The visitors boasted an impressive record against the Carnival Club going into this encounter, Hoffenheim having won each of the teams' last eight meetings. Against the run of play, the Sinsheimers pulled level when Christoph Baumgartner - on his 100th Bundesliga appearance - raced away from Nikola Soldo before laying a pass back for Bruun Larsen to angle in from close range.

Knowing his side would leapfrog their opponents into seventh place if he could oversee a first victory against Hoffenheim as a coach, Baumgart sent Cologne out for the second half intent on taking the lead. When Benno Schmitz's centre from the right inadvertently found its way to Kainz at the back post, the Austrian was perfectly placed to fire in his second of the game. His shot, however, failed to outsmart Oliver Baumann, Hoffenheim's ever-present goalkeeper and captain. At the other end, substitute Eduardo Quaresma tricked his way through before freeing Robert Skov, whose dangerous cross-shot was expertly turned away by Marvin Schwäbe. With chances at a premium thereafter and the game heading for a draw, Ozan Kabak mistimed a challenge on Florian Dietz, the result of which meant the Turkish defender was ordered off for a second yellow. Andrej Kramaric subsequently threatened to win it at the death, but by then, both sides were content to have made their point.

KOE Cologne Cologne - TSG Hoffenheim Hoffenheim

Honours even as Hoffenheim hold Cologne