23.04.2021 23:18 h

Cologne earn second straight win in relegation fight

Cologne earned their second win this week to ease their Bundesliga relegation fears as attacking midfielder Ondrej Duda netted twice in their 3-2 victory at Augsburg on Friday.

After shocking second-placed RB Leipzig on Tuesday, Cologne's latest win moved them up a spot into the relegation play-off place in 16th.

However, Cologne are only three points ahead of Hertha Berlin, who have three games in hand having been quarantined after members of their squad tested positive for Covid-19.

"We're happy we got the three points, it was a real nail-biter at the end," Cologne goalscorer Florian Kainz told Sky.

"Augsburg opened things up and risked a lot."

Cologne raced into a 3-0 half-time lead in Bavaria as Duda scored either side of Kainz's goal.

Hosts Augsburg fought back with second-half goals by Polish defender Robert Gumny and Swiss winger Ruben Vargas but Cologne held on.

Cologne's caretaker coach Friedhelm Funkel has now won two of his three games since Markus Gisdol was sacked.