38.
16:08
Boniface still has a small drawback because he feels like he’s the only player in black and red who occasionally misses the ball. At the same time, he makes up for this weakness through pure will, successfully follows up and serves Frimpong on the right. His shot is blocked with a tackle.
36.
16:07
One shot after the other flies towards the away goal. Wirtz heads a corner that is a little too high into the back area over the goal.
35.
16:06
Paqarada gets to the ball with his head in front of Frimpong, who has started again, just in time to clear for a corner. This is played out briefly so that Álex Grimaldo gets the ball back on the edge of the penalty area. Suddenly he takes a crazy shot towards the left corner, but Schwäbe makes a sensational save with the very long right arm!
34.
16:04
On the other hand, Cologne is now having major problems getting into duels on time. The will is there. It only fails because of the individual and collective class of the opponent.
33.
16:04
The league lead is there and only one goal is missing to have the best offense in the league. In addition, there is the second-best defense in the league. Leverkusen is dominant!
32.
16:01
Great for Bayer Leverkusen, 2-0 by Jeremie Frimpong
This template! On the front left, Wirtz and He crosses flatly and at exactly the right pace through the five-pointer to the second post, where Frimpong just has to push the ball over the line!
31.
16:01
There is a lot of applause from the audience after Tah successfully beats Selke and wins the ball. Everything seems to be going smoothly for the Werkself.
29.
3:59 p.m
Leverkusen is already 7:1 on goal and has 61 percent possession. The tour goes perfectly fine after half an hour.
27.
15:57
It’s back to the other side, because Wirtz is cleared in the penalty area and then his shot gets stuck on a defender.
26.
15:57
Suddenly things are getting tight for Leverkusen! Tapsoba plays the ball back to Hrádecký a little too short. He hesitates at first before rushing forward and sliding the ball away from the opponent.
26.
15:56
In terms of football, Alidou tries to get behind the last chain, but Tah confidently shields the ball.
24.
3:55 p.m
Emotions ran slightly high in the wake of the goal. Frimpong openly demands a yellow card from Zwayer and promptly sees it himself. Baumgart is also warned because he had very loudly called for the handball.
24.
15:54
Yellow card for Steffen Baumgart (1. FC Köln)
23.
15:53
Yellow card for Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen)
23.
15:53
The VAR checks for an alleged handball in the run-up to the goal, but this is not punished. The ball bounced off Boniface’s arm from the straddling Chabot. It’s hard to say whether it was all in accordance with the rules.
22.
15:51
Great for Bayer Leverkusen, 1-0 by Jonas Hofmann
This is too good! Boniface puts the ball out to the left into the path of Grimaldo, who plays flat to the five with the first contact. Instead of trying to finish under pressure, Wirtz brilliantly places his heel into the back area, from where Hofmann can easily slide in down the right!
19.
3:49 p.m
Wirtz from a distance! After Kossounou, who had moved up, is pushed back, the ball bounces back onto Wirtz’s foot. From almost 20 meters he chases the ball towards the top right of the goal, where Schwäbe prevents it from hitting the target with a good save!
18.
3:48 p.m
It’s impressive to see how Wirtz, Hofmann and Co. weave their way around the Cologne team, some of whom are tough players. This looks very delicate, but it also shows that the Effzeh is close and defends well.
16.
3:46 p.m
The cathedral townspeople defend themselves. First Hofmann is pushed aside, shortly afterwards Tapsoba is undermined. For the latter entry there is also a free kick that lands on Tah’s head. He in turn commits an offensive foul and is whistled back.
14.
3:45 p.m
The pressure from the Werkself is increasing. Xhaka wants to send Boniface into the box with his outside instep, but Schwäbe throws himself on the ball in front of him. Carstensen had already covered the striker well.
13.
15:43
Next opportunities for the beefy striker! First he tunnels Hübers to the left of the penalty area and fails from an acute angle to the swooping Schwäbe. A little later he leaves three defenders standing in the backcourt with two deceptions, but his shot still gets stuck on other defenders!
12.
3:42 p.m
From the right, Frimpong plays the ball flat to the penalty spot. Boniface doesn’t stand optimally, but still shoots directly and gets stuck on a defender.
11.
15:41
Once again a Leverkusen player is sent deep. This time it’s not the defense that stops the attack, but the offside flag. In this scene, Álex Grimaldo takes a moment too long to pass the through ball to Wirtz.
10.
3:40 p.m
From the right side, standard specialist Leart Paqarada hits the corner in front of the goal. Chabot successfully breaks away, wins the header duel against Xhaka and puts the ball just half a meter over the goal!
9.
3:39 p.m
Cologne still has to make compromises when it comes to goal threat, but this applies to the entire season. At least Alidou gets a first corner with a deflected cross.
7.
3:38 p.m
Cologne has to watch out for the counterattack! Wirtz leaves an opponent in midfield and can therefore send Grimaldo on his way. Once again the pass is too imprecise for the full-back, allowing Timo Hübers to clear for a goal kick.
6.
3:37 p.m
The Effzeh finds its way into the game well. The ball keeps rolling through the home side’s half.
4.
3:34 p.m
There is some space for Boniface 30 meters in front of the goal. He marches forward with long steps, but then plays the pass too imprecisely to the left. A man from Cologne is in the way of Grimaldo.
2.
3:32 p.m
On the other hand, the guests’ first free kick sails into Leverkusen’s penalty area. However, this is cleared with a header before Cologne prevents a counterattack.
1.
3:31 p.m
It takes 39 seconds for the Werkself to shoot on goal for the first time! Wirtz drives the ball through the center, shoots towards the goal from 18 meters and is denied by Schwäbe!
1.
3:30 p.m
The ball is rolling in the Bayarena. The Rhine derby is open. Let’s go on a wild ride!
15:27
Both teams enter the field with a great atmosphere and a strong choreo from the home fans. It will not be long!
15:21
The game is led by the experienced Felix Zwayer. The 42-year-old Berliner is assisted by linesmen Stefan Lupp and Christian Dietz.
15:14
Leverkusen actually only got one win in the last four Rhine derbies. The last two home games were even lost. Some Cologne players who are in the starting line-up today will also remember this. At the same time, Baumgart will tell his players that a new game will of course be played today.
3:05 p.m
Cologne lost 2-0 to high-flyers VfB Stuttgart last week. In comparison, Steffen Baumgart switches to two positions. Eric Martel is back in the squad after recovering from Achilles tendon problems and has moved straight into the starting line-up. Faride Alidou also brings some speed into the game up front. Instead, Steffen Tigges and the often unfortunate Linton Maina take a seat on the bench.
14:57
During the week, Leverkusen won 1-2 in the Europa League in Molde and is now rotating. Xabi Alonso brings Lukáš Hrádecký, Odilon Kossounou, Álex Grimaldo, Florian Wirtz, Exequiel Palacios, Jonas Hofmann and Victor Boniface back into the starting eleven. What initially sounds like a big change is actually the line-up that started five of the first six league games. So the Werkself remain true to themselves.
2:48 p.m
1. FC Köln revealed some problems on the first six match days. Lost regulars could not be compensated, important players have not yet reached their performance limit and the flank-based tactics seem too predictable. You could almost say that the Billy Goats are at the bottom of the table for a reason. Steffen Baumgart hasn’t been dealt with yet, but it’s clear to everyone involved that things can’t go on like this. A win before the international break would definitely ease the situation.
2:39 p.m
Nine games, eight wins, one draw at Bayern: This season could hardly go better for Bayer Leverkusen. The Werkself entered the match day as leaders and has already sparked lively discussions. Will it be enough to win the title this year? When will the always expected slump come? Where will coach Xabi Alonso end up after the season? In any case, it is clear that the first stumbling block should hardly be the current bottom of the table. On the other hand, it is precisely these surprises that make football.
2:32 p.m
Welcome to the Rhine derby! Bayer Leverkusen and 1. FC Köln meet at 3:30 p.m. Rarely have the two teams been so far apart, but anything is possible in the derby!