Ilzer after Cologne Debacle: "Defeat in this form was unnecessary"

TSG Hoffenheim has started the new Bundesliga season with a bitter defeat.

At 1. FC Köln, the Sinsheimers twice gave up a lead and lost 2-3 despite a strong first half (to the match report >>>).

Coach Christian Ilzer was accordingly disappointed after the match. "In the end, it was a defeat that certainly wouldn't have been necessary in this form," explains the Austrian in a "Sportschau" interview.

Ilzer particularly critical of second half

Initially, his team had done many things right. "We quickly gained control and deservedly took the lead. We implemented what I had envisioned," analyzes Ilzer.

After the break, however, Hoffenheim faded. Particularly bitter: Shortly after the restart, Bernardo got injured. Even before TSG could react and make a substitution, Köln scored the equalizer.

"That somewhat woke up the stadium here, which we had kept very quiet in the first half," explains Ilzer. As a result, Köln gained additional energy, while his team no longer played with the necessary consistency.

"The game became too wild, exactly what we wanted to prevent," summarizes the 48-year-old.

The missed opportunities also annoy the coach. According to Ilzer, Hoffenheim could have steered the match clearly in their favor much earlier. "We need to reflect on the three goals conceded and, of course, the one or two big chances that came our way."

Wimmer: "We need to bring much more composure into the game"

Patrick Wimmer provides a similar analysis. The ÖFB legionnaire, who was in the starting eleven and substituted in the 71st minute, also sees the problems mainly after the half-time break.

"It really hurts that we're going home with zero points today. We were good in the game in the first half and then deservedly took the lead," says Wimmer.

After Hoffenheim's second goal, however, they failed to control the match. "After making it 2-1, we needed to bring much more composure into the game, but we didn't manage that."

Wimmer, however, does not believe that the heated atmosphere in the Köln stadium was decisive. "It was less the atmosphere and more the game itself that threw us off balance."

Ilzer defends Moerstedt

Max Moerstedt also experienced a bitter afternoon. The young striker failed to convert a penalty at 1-1 against Köln's Marvin Schwäbe and shortly thereafter missed another big chance.

Ilzer, however, does not want to blame his young player for this. On the contrary: "I like that Max Moerstedt, as a young player, took responsibility for the penalty; many other players have missed before."

Generally, for TSG, it's now about learning from the defeat. "We simply have to eliminate the errors. We need to bring more stability and automatisms into phases where the game gets a bit wilder," demands Ilzer.

There isn't much time for analysis and processing. Already next Saturday, the reigning German vice-champion Borussia Dortmund awaits in the first home game of the season. The Dortmunders started the new season with a dominant victory against HSV. The tasks for Ilzer, Wimmer, and Co. will certainly not get any easier.