Rene Wagner hopes 5-0 Pokal triumph can spark Cologne's struggling Bundesliga attack

FC Cologne head coach René Wagner hopes Tuesday's emphatic 5-0 DFB-Pokal victory over Union Berlin can help his side rediscover their goalscoring confidence after a difficult start to the Bundesliga campaign. The Cologne trainernevertheless insists that little changed in his team's preparation for the cup encounter.

Cologne managed just eight goals through their opening seven Bundesliga fixtures. Their attacking problems have become particularly pronounced sincelosing both of their strikers to injury.

The Rhinelanders scored only twice across their last three league matches and failed to find the net in either of their two most recent outings. Last Saturday'sgoalless draw against Schalke 04did little to ease concerns about the club's attacking output.

Just three days later, however, Cologne produced their most convincing offensive performance of the season. German international Said El Mala spearheaded the 5-0 triumph over Union Berlin with two goals and an assist.

Linton Maina also scored, while Isak Bergmann Johannesson and Sebastian Sebulonsen completed the rout. The result sent Cologne into the DFB-Pokal round of 16 and provided a considerable confidence boost ahead of an immediate Bundesliga rematch with the capital city side, this time at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei in Köpenick.

René Wagner: "We didn't change up anything big" Speaking to reporters at Cologne's training ground ahead of Sunday's league encounter, Wagner expressed satisfaction that his players had finally been rewarded for their work on the training pitch. "I was glad the boys could make it worth their while," Wagner told reporters on the sidelines of Cologne's training ground.

"We're aware of what we're doing here every day. We know what we're building here.

The [preparation] work prior to Union [in the Pokal] was no different than it was before Schalke [in the league]. We had far too little time [for anything different].

We just stuck to our plan." Cologne's failure to score against Schalke had raised questions about whether Wagner needed to make more substantial tactical adjustments.