Donyell Malen scored in the 88th minute to give Borussia Dortmund, last season’s finalists, a nervous 1-0 win over visiting FC Cologne in their Bundesliga opener on Saturday.
The Dutchman got the win after a lackluster performance by the hosts, who last season failed to win their first league title in 12 years after a mistake on the last day.
– Broadcast by ESPN: LaLiga, Bundesliga, (United States)
Dortmund controlled but slightly controlled to enter the Cologne area.
“We didn’t like a lot of things today,” Dortmund coach Edin Terzic said. “We took all three problems. It wasn’t a smart performance. “
“We had to face a lot of counterattacks because our center was absolutely open. There was also the sure possibility that Cologne did not know his situation. “
The visitors had their chance in the first half with a deflected shot from Davie Selke that bounced off the crossbar.
There is little reason to applaud the 81,000 spectators in the sold-out stadium, as Dortmund found no way to overcome a disciplined Cologne defense for much of the match, even after coach Edin Terzic replaced his entire front line in the second half.
It was Cologne who came close in the second half with a header from substitute Sargis Adamyan blocked by goalkeeper Gregor Kobel as Dortmund fans began to taunt and whistle.
But Malen opened the scoring, with a volley at the far post following a Felix Nmecha header from a corner, to give his team a winning start to the campaign.
The Bayern Munich champions began their season with a 4-0 thrashing of hosts Werder Bremen on Friday, with league-record Harry Kane scoring a goal and scoring on his Bundesliga debut.