Thijs Dallinga became the first player to score twice on his Bundesliga debut for 1. FC Koln as his late goals secured a 3-2 home win over Hoffenheim.
Koln had fallen behind twice in the opening match of their Bundesliga campaign, but the new signing changed the contest after being introduced as a substitute midway through the second half. Dallinga struck in the 72nd minute to level the score before finding the net again 10 minutes later to complete the turnaround.
His second goal proved decisive, giving Koln victory in a match they had been forced to chase on two occasions. The result also gave Dallinga a place in the club’s history after he became the first Koln player to score a Bundesliga debut brace for the club.
The achievement was made even more notable by the role he played from the bench. Dallinga spent fewer than 30 minutes on the pitch, yet that brief appearance produced both Koln goals in the comeback.
The fixture marked the start of the German top flight, the last of Europe’s major leagues to begin its season this weekend. Koln’s home meeting with Hoffenheim was therefore one of the first opportunities for the club’s new arrival to make an impression in the Bundesliga.
Instead of simply contributing to a positive result, Dallinga supplied the goals that determined it. His first effort brought Koln level after Hoffenheim had regained the advantage, while his second arrived only 10 minutes later and put the home side in front for the first time in the match.
That sequence made the substitute the central figure in Koln’s opening game. Having entered during the second half, he needed only a short spell on the field to turn a difficult position into a winning one and establish a new individual milestone for the club.
Koln ultimately held on for a 3-2 victory, while Dallinga’s debut was defined by the combination of its timing and its efficiency. He did not start the game and played less than half an hour, but his two goals were enough to overturn Hoffenheim’s two leads.
For Koln, the win began the Bundesliga season with a dramatic comeback at home. For Dallinga, it delivered a record that no previous player had achieved for the club: two goals in a debut Bundesliga appearance for Koln.
