Köln starters Florian Kainz and Jakub Kaminski earn special praise after massive Bundesliga win | OneFootball

Köln’s German phenom Said El Mala once again sparkled in his Bundesliga club’s latest league victory over the weekend. El Mala scored a goal and added an assist in Köln’s 4-1 victory over fellow promoted Bundesliga outfit Hamburger SV. It’s worth noting, however, that El Mala only entered the match in the 67th-minute as a substitute and was involved in two goals that came in extra time. 

El Mala effectively benefitted from the hard work of his teammates over the course of the evening. While the result was not without plenty of controversy, one can easily label the hosting Domstädter deserved winners based on the fact that head coach Lukas Kwasniok’s XI played better throughout the whole affair. Kwasniok owes much to the performance of two key players. 

Pace-setting loanee Jakub Kaminski filled in as a right wingback in Kwasniok’s highly interesting 3-4-1-2. The man working behind lead striker Ragnar Ache and service striker Linton Maina was none other than 33-year-old former Köln captain Florian Kainz. The 28-times-capped Austrian international hadn’t featured at all as a starter for Köln thus far this season. 

Kainz did an excellent job working distribution from his semi No. 10 slot and also scored the crucial 2-0 at the beginning of the second half. Kaminski ended up serving in several tactical positions and notched a goal and assist himself. Kwasniok praised both players at the post match press conference. 

“I decided to start with a target forward in Ache and a more deep-lying attacker in Maina,” Kwasniok said. “It helps when you have a player as intelligent as Kainz in your squad. We rarely choose this formation, but we wanted to create this three-two situation in midfield. Kainz was the perfect man for the job.”

“I’ve always said that Kaminski is our best player,” Kwasniok later added. “He can play on the left wing, left forward, right wing, or right forward. He’s an offensive all-rounder. On top of that, he’s humble and extremely eager to learn. He decisive man today because he changed our game.”

GGFN | Peter Weis