COLOGNE (dpa-AFX) - Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund solidified their second-place standing with a routine victory over 1. FC Köln, further increasing the pressure on FC coach Lukas Kwasniok. With a 2-1 (1-0) win in the cathedral city, Niko Kovac's squad maintained their six-point lead over chasers TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
Following their fifth consecutive winless match, including four defeats, Cologne remains just two points above the relegation play-off spot. Consequently, the situation is becoming increasingly precarious for Kwasniok, as the cushion to the relegation zone could be completely erased by Sunday.
Serhou Guirassy put BVB ahead in the 16th minute, a lead that Maximilian Beier (60th) extended for the visitors while playing with a numerical advantage. Cologne played the entire second half with ten men after Jahmai Simpson-Pusey (45th+2) received a straight red card for a heavy foul on Beier. Jakub Kaminski's goal in the 88th minute proved to be too little, too late./deg/DP/zb
