COLOGNE – Cologne squandered a two-goal lead and had to sweat to rescue a point in their 2-2 draw with visitors Mainz 05 on Sunday in their first Bundesliga game back after a two-month suspension due to the Covid-19 virus.
Cologne, looking for their fourth straight league win, thought they had wrapped up the match played without spectators after early goals in each half.
Mark Uth converted a sixth-minute penalty he won himself and Florian Kainz headed in a perfect Dominick Drexler cross at the far post in the 52nd minute.
Mainz fought back, however, cutting the deficit through Taiwo Awoniyi in the 61st and levelling 11 minutes later thanks to unmarked Kunde Malong's 30-metre strike. They also went close to scoring a third in the final minutes.
Cologne remained 10th in the standings on 33 points. Leaders Bayern Munich, top on 55 points, play Union Berlin later on Sunday.