Cologne left contemplating Bundesliga relegation after home loss to last-place Darmstadt

BERLIN (AP) — Cologne’s hopes of Bundesliga survival were dealt a major blow on Saturday after losing 2-0 at home to last-placed Darmstadt, the visitor's first win since October.

Darmstadt defender Christoph Klarer scored in the 57th minute when the ball landed luringly at his feet after Cologne defenders failed to clear a corner.

Some Cologne fans were left in tears after Oscar Vilhelmsson sealed Darmstadt’s win in the final minute, bringing Cologne’s seventh relegation from the Bundesliga a step closer.

Cologne remained second from bottom, four points behind in-form Mainz before its game at Freiburg on Sunday, and five behind Bochum, which lost in Wolfsburg 1-0.

Darmstadt remained last but its supporters celebrated the end of their team’s 22-game winless run. Darmstadt hadn’t won since Oct. 7.

Four rounds remain after this weekend. The bottom two are automatically relegated, while the team that finishes third from bottom faces a two-leg playoff against the third-place finisher in the second division to determine which side plays in the Bundesliga next season.

Leipzig consolidated fourth place and boosted its chances of Champions League qualification with a 2-1 win at Heidenheim, and Anton Stach had the final say in a wild finish as Hoffenheim defeated Borussia Mönchengladbach 4-3.

Union Berlin was hosting Bayern Munich later in the Bavarian powerhouse’s first league game since Bayer Leverkusen

ended its 11-year reign

by winning the title last weekend.

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