Stuttgart's German midfielder Daniel Didavi (left) and Cologne's Tunisian midfielder Ellyes Skhiri vie for the ball during the German first division Bundesliga football match VfB Stuttgart v 1 FC Cologne in Stuttgart, southern Germany, on Oct 23, 2020. (THOMAS KIENZLE / AFP)

BERLIN - Sebastian Andersson cancelled out Orel Malanga's early opener for Stuttgart to earn Cologne one point on the road at the curtain raiser of the 5th round in Bundesliga on Friday.

Newly promoted Stuttgart caught a fairy-tale start on home soil as Malanga broke the deadlock with just 24 seconds played after drilling the ball from 17 meters into the top left corner.

Stuttgart took the reins and should have doubled its advantage but Daniel Didavi's long-range strike from 20 meters rattled only the crossbar in the 3rd minute.

Stuttgart took the reins and should have doubled its advantage but Daniel Didavi's long-range strike from 20 meters rattled only the crossbar in the 3rd minute

Cologne was unable to gain a foothold into the game whereas Stuttgart continued offensively minded. However, despite being the more active team it was Cologne who restored parity out of the blue as Andersson converted a foul-play penalty into the bottom left corner with 23 minutes played.

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The visitors assumed control after stunning Stuttgart with the equalizer but for all that the "Billy Goats" lacked in penetration to produce clear-cut chances in the first half.

Stuttgart almost took the lead again, but Cologne's goalkeeper Timo Horn won a one-on-one against Tanguy Coulibaly to avoid a deficit before the break.

After the restart, Stuttgart controlled possession but was unable to pose threat to Cologne's well-positioned defence. Meanwhile, Cologne focussed on fast breaks as Andersson tested Stuttgart's custodian Gregor Kobel in 53rd minute.

As the match progressed, both sides tried to bypass the midfield with long passes hence goalscoring opportunities remained a rare occurrence for the remainder of the second half.

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With the share of the spoils, Cologne still wait for its first win of the season to stay on the 16th position whereas newcomers Stuttgart climb on the 4th place for the moment.

"We played well in the first half, but the penalty threw us out of the rhythm. The second half was evenly balance I therefore think the draw is a fair result," Stuttgart's head coach Pellegrino Matarazzo said.

The following matches are scheduled for Saturday: title holders Bayern Munich host Eintracht Frankfurt, front runners Leipzig face Hertha Berlin, Union Berlin see Freiburg, Mainz clash with Borussia Monchengladbach and third placed Borussia Dortmund encounter rivals Schalke.