BERLIN, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- Hoffenheim rallied back after edging Cologne 2-1 on the late converted penalty from Jurgen Locadia to kick off the 11th round in Bundesliga on Friday.
The "TSG" shocked the hosts with a late penalty from Locadia, who hijacked all three points in the dying seconds of the game.
Cologne took the reins from the starting whistle but for all that the hosts were not able to threat Hoffenheim's defence. Meanwhile, the visitors needed some time to gain a foothold into the match.
As a result, clearcut goal scoring opportunities remained a rare occurrence until the half-hour mark. Things changed shortly after as Jhon Cordoba made to most out of Louis Schaub's pass to beat Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann in the 34th minute.
After the restart, Hoffenheim head coach Alfred Schreuder made amendments and fielded Sargis Adamyan, who instantly paid back the the trust of his coach. The Armenian benefitted on Sebastian Rudy's pinpoint cross and volleyed home the equalizer left footed with three minutes into the second half.
The visitors pressed relentless for the winner but neither Adamyan nor Locadia was able to find the net despite promising chances at the hour mark.
Hoffenheim were the more active team but Cologne were nonetheless able to hold the pace. Just when both sides settled for a 1-1 draw the video assistant referee turned the game up side down after awarding the visitors a foul play penalty deep into stoppage time. Locadia stepped up and remained his cool to slot home the 2-1 winner.
With the win, Hoffenheim recorded their sixth straight win in all competitions and moved on the second place of the standings whereas newly promoted Cologne slipped on the 17th position, which is a direct relegation spot.
The following fixtures are scheduled for Saturday: Hertha Berlin host third placed Leipzig, Mainz see newly promoted Union Berlin, Schalke face Fortuna Dusseldorf, newcomers Paderborn encounter Augsburg and Bayern Munich clash with runner up Borussia Dortmund.
