Leverkusen beat Cologne 2:1 in Rhine derby as Garcia free kick and Schick settle it

Garcia's free kick opens the scoring

Bayer Leverkusen won the Rhine derby 2:1 (1:0) at 1. FC Köln on 8 November, returning to winning ways after two Bundesliga defeats and a 0:1 loss to Olympique Marseille in the Europa League. The sold-out stadium held 50,000 spectators. Aleix Garcia put Leverkusen in front in the seventh minute, striking a direct free kick from around 20 metres into the left corner after Cologne goalkeeper Marvin Schwäbe had made three saves in quick succession. Garcia had come under criticism for defensive lapses after the Marseille game, and the goal was his answer on the pitch. Cologne's Linton Maina had already tested Leverkusen goalkeeper Mark Flekken after 25 seconds, so the opening minutes were a fast exchange of chances at both ends.

Second half flashpoints

After the break, Cologne wanted a penalty after a challenge on Mikey Moore, but referee Felix Zwayer waved play on. When Alfonso Moreira went down following a kick, tempers flared and players formed a huddle. Moore had already been booked in the 46th minute and went down inside the box in the 49th minute. The Leverkusen bench asked for a red card for what it called a dive, but after consulting the video assistant, Zwayer decided not to punish the incident. Ibrahim Maza then hit a left-footed shot in the 66th minute that went just past the post, a chance that could have settled the match. Cologne made three changes, bringing on Malek El Mala, who had scored the equaliser on his debut the week before in Berlin, according to Die Welt.

Late goals and the final whistle

Patrik Schick doubled Leverkusen's lead in the 85th minute, although N-tv and RP Online give the 86th minute. Said El Mala pulled one back in the second minute of stoppage time (90+2), with Spiegel Online reporting that the goal came from a pass by his brother Malek. The result left Cologne with a first home league defeat of the season.

Table position and reactions

Leverkusen climbed to fifth place with 16 points after nine matchdays, according to RP Online, after losses to Hoffenheim and Stuttgart had cost them ground. Cologne have now gone four Bundesliga games without a win and sit 15th, Spiegel Online reports, while the pressure on coach René Wagner grows. Before kick-off, Bayer's club chief Fernando Carro had described the recent results as a 'dent' rather than a crisis. Ahead of the match, sporting director Simon Rolfes said:

“In Cologne it is always a special game. We will go in very motivated and want to win.”

What comes next

Leverkusen's next league matches are against newly promoted SC Paderborn on 21 November and at Borussia Dortmund on 29 November, after the international break. Cologne face a demanding trip to Bayern Munich on 20 November, then SV Elversberg on 28 November and FC Augsburg on 5 December, games the club's coach has described as decisive.