• The match finished 2-2 after late drama at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei.
• 1. FC Köln led twice but could not hold on against the hosts.
• The point moves both clubs closer to Bundesliga safety.

1. FC Köln and 1. FC Union Berlin earned a crucial point each in their battle to stay clear of the relegation zone. The two sides produced an exciting 2-2 draw in the German top flight.

The game began slowly. Both teams showed caution and kept their shape at the back. Union Berlin created the first clear opening after 24 minutes. Aljoscha Kemlein struck the woodwork when he should have scored. The chance came after a mistake by Köln keeper Marvin Schwäbe.

Köln grew into the match and took the lead in the 31st minute. Marius Bülter fired a stunning shot from outside the box that found the net. Luca Waldschmidt provided the assist for the opening goal. The visitors nearly doubled their advantage before the break, but Diogo Leite made a vital last-ditch tackle to keep his team in the game.

After half-time, Köln continued to look dangerous on the counter-attack. Jakub Kaminski went close to scoring but his shot went wide while he was falling. The away side did get their second goal in the 61st minute. Young striker Said El Mala scored his 12th goal of the season with a cool finish inside the box.

The Union Berlin boss made three changes around the 70-minute mark. The substitutes made an immediate impact. Tom Rothe pulled one back in the 74th minute from a Christopher Trimmel corner. The hosts pushed forward for an equaliser and found it in the 89th minute. Burcu scored the crucial goal to level the scores at 2-2.

The referee blew the final whistle with the score tied. Both Köln and Union Berlin will feel relieved to take a step towards securing their Bundesliga status for next season.

• Marius Bülter’s goal for Köln was correctly awarded after VAR checked for offside interference
• Referee Daniel Schlager confirmed Said El Mala did not meet any of the three criteria for offside offence
• The assistant referee apologised for raising his flag too early during the attacking move

Daniel Schlager has defended his decision to allow Marius Bülter’s controversial goal during the 2-2 draw between 1. FC Köln and 1. FC Union Berlin. The 33-year-old striker scored against his former club, but the strike faced a lengthy VAR review for a possible offside.

The incident involved Said El Mala, who appeared to stand in an offside position when Kristoffer Lund played the pass. However, Jakub Kaminski reached the ball first before setting up Bülter to finish. Luca Waldschmidt provided the final assist for Bülter’s first goal since the turn of the year.

Speaking to Sky after the match, Schlager explained the three rules for disallowing a goal for offside interference. “To rule out a goal for offside, we need one of three things,” the 36-year-old official stated. “First, the player must touch the ball directly. El Mala did not do this.”

He continued: “Second, he must challenge an opponent for the ball. This did not happen because the nearest defender was too far away. Third, he must block a defender from playing the ball. Again, this was not the case as the ball was far from any defender.”

The match official also addressed confusion caused by his assistant referee. The linesman raised his flag during the attack, though Schlager allowed play to continue. Modern rules state that play should carry on until the move ends, but the early signal caused uncertainty in the Union Berlin defence.

“This is something we will review,” Schlager admitted. “The flag went up too quickly. The assistant thought El Mala would reach the ball. He did not see Kaminski, who was behind him. I saw Kaminski clearly, so I told my assistant that it was not offside. He then put his flag down.”

Union Berlin fought back to earn a point after falling behind to a second Köln goal in the 60th minute. The draw leaves both teams searching for valuable points in the Bundesliga table.