Overview
- 1. FC Köln dominated Atalanta from the first whistle in front of 40,100 fans, securing a 4-0 victory in their last preseason match.
- Jan Thielmann scored a brace with a solo effort in the 26th minute and a follow-up strike in the 58th minute to highlight his strong form.
- Lukas Waldschmidt sealed the win by converting a penalty three minutes after entering the pitch.
- Atalanta fielded a non–first–choice lineup and failed to register a single shot on target throughout the game.
- Coach Lukas Kwasniok will finalize his DFB-Pokal starting XI and permanent captain ahead of the opener and has ruled Imad Rondic out of the squad for sporting reasons.