FC Köln's final home game of the season ended in disappointment as they fell to a deserved 3-1 defeat against Heidenheim, who climbed off the bottom of the Bundesliga table with the crucial victory. For Marius Bülter, the match was a bittersweet milestone: it marked the first time this season he had scored in back-to-back games since the opening matchdays. But individual achievements took a backseat to the collective frustration.

"From a tight angle, you know you have to shoot high," the experienced winger reflected on his 10th-minute strike, which briefly gave Köln hope. However, the conversation quickly shifted to the team's overall performance. "In the end, you have to say that we were just two or three percent short of winning the game today," Bülter admitted. "You saw a team fighting for survival, and that wasn't us. That was disappointing. We have to be careful not to let one bad game ruin the whole season."

The defeat puts a damper on what should have been a celebratory afternoon at home, but Köln still have one more chance to finish the season on a high note. They travel to face champions FC Bayern Munich next Saturday. "Even if it's difficult to accept it after this game, we secured our place in the league with two matchdays to go," Bülter concluded, striking a note of cautious optimism amid the disappointment. For Köln fans, the focus now shifts to regrouping and finishing the campaign with pride—and perhaps a fresh look at their gear for next season's battles.