Hoffenheim goes 4th in Bundesliga with 1-0 win vs Cologne 

By PTI

BERLIN: Stefan Posch got the only goal as Hoffenheim beat Cologne 1-0 amid a host of missed chances by both teams to move fourth in the Bundesliga, the last place for Champions League qualification.

Posch’s second-half goal was enough for the visitors to stretch their winning run to four games and move two points clear of Leipzig and Freiburg after their 1-1 draw on Saturday. Nine rounds remain.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine again featured prominently in the Bundesliga.

Cologne players wore jerseys with “Stop war” written on the front where they usually show the logo of Rewe, a supermarket chain.

John Lennon’s “Imagine” was played around the stadium before players and fans observed a minute’s silence in solidarity with the victims of the war.

Hoffenheim forward Ihlas Bebou missed several good opportunities to score, while Anthony Modeste missed the home team’s best chance of the first half when he fired over with only the goalkeeper to beat.

Bebou began the second half with a header against the post and Modeste had a goal ruled out for offside before Posch finally broke the deadlock in the 61st when he headed in a cross from Germany defender David Raum.

There were further missed chances for both teams with Hoffenheim’s Christoph Baumgartner hitting the post when it looked easier to score.

Cologne substitute Tim Lemperle headed just wide in injury time.

The scheduled earlier game between second-place Borussia Dortmund and Mainz was postponed Friday to March 16 due to a coronavirus outbreak at home team Mainz.