Magic, maturity and Maurice: Augsburg see off Köln in historic match

It is a historic occasion for FC Augsburg. The Bavarians played their 500th Bundesliga match and marked the milestone with their 150th top-flight victory. Against 1. FC Köln, FCA started brightly and had the decisive actions up front to turn their anniversary into a celebration.

Here is our full match report:

Match report:

There was a notable surprise in the starting XI as Michael Gregoritsch did not feature for the hosts, with Portuguese forward Rodrigo Ribeiro being given the nod instead. The decision quickly looked justified:

Inside the opening 20 minutes, Ribeiro immediately made his presence felt, firing off two dangerous efforts that tested Köln’s defence and underlined Augsburg’s attacking intent. The hosts applied sustained pressure, moved the ball confidently, and carved out several promising opportunities.

Köln, meanwhile, struggled to gain a foothold in the contest and rarely threatened going forward during the early stages - at least in the first 30 minutes of the game. Augsburg dictated the tempo and looked sharper in duels and second balls.

Momentum shifts before the break

After an energetic first 30 minutes, however, Augsburg’s intensity dipped slightly. Köln gradually grew into the match and began to find more rhythm in possession.

The visitors came within inches of taking the lead shortly before half-time. Following a corner, Eric Martel rose highest and powered a header against the crossbar – a let-off for Augsburg and a moment of “aluminium luck” for the hosts.

There was also a brief moment of controversy in the 42nd minute when Augsburg appealed for a handball inside the penalty area. The referee waved play on, and replays suggested the decision not to award a penalty was the correct one.

The teams went into the break level. Augsburg had enjoyed the brighter start while Köln finished the half stronger - therefore it was quite unpredictable where the game would go in the second 45 minutes.

Banks and Ribeiro combine for the opener

Ten minutes after the restart, the breakthrough finally arrived – and it was worth the wait, at least for all Augsburg fans.

In the 55th minute, centre-back Noahkai Banks surged forward on an adventurous run, mimicking the likes of Micky van de Ven and Nico Schlotterbeck, driving all the way to the byline. He delivered a sharp ball into the box where Ribeiro was perfectly positioned. With quick thinking and technical finesse, the Portuguese forward finished with a clever backheel to make it 1-0 to Augsburg.

On their milestone night, FCA have taken a deserved lead – and as things stood, they would be moving closer to turning their 500th Bundesliga appearance into their 150th top-flight victory. Could Köln repeat their actions of the first half and take the game into their own hands again?

Kwasniok's side did turn up the heat again and were the much more dangerous side from the 65th minute onwards. They created many chances and put the hosts under pressure, but they rarely got into great scoring positions.

Augsburg went into full-defense-mode, only going up the pitch when there were smart counter attacking options available. The Fuggerstädter had a good feeling for managing the game in the end - which is another sign of a top team in the second half of the season (note: before this match, Augsburg were on par with Bayern for the amount of points they got since January).

Claude-Maurice finishes the game

Kwasniok's last joker: Said El Mala. But on this night, even the bright talent could not break down this Bavarian wall. There was some late drama where Augsburg almost conceded from a long cross, but Schlotterbeck cleared the ball just in time.

Augsburg had the last laugh as Köln keeper Schwäbe went up for the last corner of the game - but it totally backfired and Augsburg's Claude-Maurice was free to run towards the goal - and he put it in to fully start the Bavarian celebrations.

Manuel Baum and his side have climbed up to rank 9 in the Bundesliga with this win, while Köln stay put in 12th.

Final result: FC Augsburg 2-0 1.FC Köln