BERLIN (AP) — Nils Petersen scored two late penalties — one in the 90th minute and another in injury time — as Freiburg came from three goals down to beat Cologne 4-3 in the Bundesliga on Sunday.
Petersen started his team’s comeback in the first half and his hat trick denied Cologne what would have been its first league win of the season at the 15th attempt, one week after the club fired Peter Stoeger as coach.
Stoeger was presented by Borussia Dortmund as its new coach earlier Sunday, after Dortmund responded to its league slump by firing Peter Bosz.
Kickoff in Cologne was delayed by a half-hour due to a snowstorm that continued as the game got underway.
Hosts Cologne raced into a three-goal lead inside the first 30 minutes. Lukas Kluenter opened the scoring in the eighth minute and Sehrou Guirassy added a second from the penalty spot before United States midfielder Caleb Stanko’s own-goal.
In a 30-minute span, Cologne had scored half as many goals as it had in the previous 14 league games.
But Petersen pulled one back with a fine volley in the 39th, and Janik Haberer ensured a nervy finale when he scored for Freiburg midway through the second half after a period of prolonged pressure from the visitors.
Cologne goalkeeper Timo Horn prevented an equalizer before his overwhelmed side gave away two penalties. Petersen converted them both to complete an unlikely comeback.