Hoffenheim conceded a goal in the first half of the sixth round of the 2025/26 Bundesliga, but were unable to find the net in the second half, ultimately losing 0-1 to newly promoted Cologne. Hoffenheim coach Ilze expressed his disappointment with the result, stating that he and his players were not efficient enough.

In the 16th minute of the game, El Mara received a pass from Eric Martel, broke into the penalty area, shook off the defense and shot into the goal, helping Cologne take the lead 1-0.

Hoffenheim was unable to change the scoreline in the following period and ultimately lost to Cologne 0-1 at home. After losing 3 points, Hoffenheim currently ranks 10th in the standings with 7 points.

Hoffenheim coach Ilze said in an interview, "We are very disappointed. We all know that this will be a difficult game. We are not efficient enough, and the result does not reflect our offensive performance against an opponent with good defense. Cologne seized the advantage after taking the lead, and this goal happened too easily. It would be more crucial if we could score first."

"The question in the second half was whether Cologne would have a chance to score a second goal or whether we could equalise. Both teams played a lot of runs and we gave our all."

Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann said, "We were not compact enough at the beginning of the game and needed some time to adjust. After conceding a goal, we really got into the game and suppressed the opponent throughout the game. Although the opponent kept creating opportunities, we should have scored a goal and a 1-1 would have been a more reasonable result."

Tim Lemperer also stated, "It wasn't our best performance, and we had some problems creating chances. But when we had our chances, we couldn't capitalize. Cologne did a good job of winning the ball back, defending very tightly, with two players always on me. We then tried to get the ball into the box, and Marvin Schwebe twice blocked Fisnik Asllani's shot."

"I was looking forward to seeing my teammates in Cologne before the game. It's a shame we didn't win the game, as it was an important goal for me, but our team will remain positive."