Rhine derby sees Cologne beat Gladbach 3-1 for 1st Bundesliga win this season

Updated Oct. 22, 2023 2:28 p.m. ET

Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — Florian Kainz scored two penalties as Cologne claimed its first Bundesliga victory of the season with a 3-1 Rhine derby win over 10-man Borussia Mönchengladbach on Sunday.

He needed three attempts, however.

Gladbach 'keeper Moritz Nicolas, who conceded the second penalty for punching Luca Waldschmidt instead of the ball, saved Kainz’s spot kick in the 75th. But the goalkeeper was penalized for moving forward off his line, giving Kainz the chance to take it again. Kainz fired inside the left post at the second attempt.

Waldschmidt sealed the win with Cologne’s third goal in off the bottom of the right post in injury time.

The late drama came after Gladbach midfielder Kouadio Koné had been sent off after a VAR check for a dangerous tackle on Dejan Ljubičić.

It was a game to forget for Koné, who conceded the first penalty through VAR for hand ball.

Kainz opened the scoring from the spot in the ninth minute, but Cologne failed to convert more chances in the first half and Nico Elvedi equalized in the 63rd as the visitors improved.

Koné’s sending off in the 72nd gave Cologne all the encouragement it needed to claim three points for the first time this season.

AUGSBURG'S FRESH START

Danish coach Jess Thorup enjoyed a morale-boosting 5-2 win at promoted Heidenheim in his first game in charge.

The visitors got off to a bad start by conceding two goals in two minutes by the 18th. But Phillip Tietz pulled one back in the 29th, then set up Mads Pedersen to equalize in the 41st and there was still time before the break for Ermedin Demirović to score Augsburg's third.

Felix Uduokhai and Elvis Rexhbeçaj completed the scoring in the second half.

Thorup replaced the fired Enrico Maaßen after Augsburg won only one of its opening seven league games and was knocked out in the first round of the German Cup.

Bayer Leverkusen leads the Bundesliga after eight rounds, one point ahead of Stuttgart and two points clear of defending champion Bayern Munich.

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