Head coach Xabi Alonso made seven changes for the home derby against the Cologne side compared with Thursday's 2-1 away win in Molde. The Spaniard fielded the same starting-line-up as in the 3-0 victory in Mainz. In front of a full house at the BayArena, the match was high intensity from the start with the Werkself pressing forwards at every opportunity. The first shot for Leverkusen came on two minutes: Florian Wirtz tested the FC Köln keeper Marvin Schwäbe but he was able to make the save. Victor Boniface had a clear-cut double opportunity on 13 minutes: First the Nigerian nutmegged his opponent on the left side of the box and shot from a tight angle, and a few seconds later he tried from a central position near the penalty spot. Three minutes after that, Jonathan Tah put a header just over the Köln bar.
The Werkself created one chance after the next. While Wirtz failed to find the back of the visitors’ net on 19 minutes, the breakthrough came on 22: Boniface played the ball to Alejandro Grimaldo on the left wing, the Spaniard put in a low cross where Wirtz backheeled the ball to Jonas Hofmann. The Germany international skilfully rounded off the impressive move from his teammates to open the scoring. The next celebration came ten minutes later: Grimaldo again put a cross into the Köln penalty area and this time he found Jeremie Frimpong at the far post who slotted the ball into the net to make it 2-0 (32'). That was the scoreline at half-time.
There were no changes at half-time and the second 45 started with a good opportunity for Wirtz with Köln goalkeeper Schwäbe tipping the ball over the bar. Ten minutes later, Boniface exploited a misplaced pass from the visitors and raced towards the FC Köln goal. The number 22 played the ball off to Frimpong but the Dutchman was unable to convert the promising chance - still 2-0.
The Werkself continued to be ambitious going forwards at pace and they allowed the visitors little space to build up their own play. Everything went really quickly on 67 minutes: Frimpong played a long ball to Hofmann, the number seven saw Boniface in the middle and he was able to put the ball in the back of the net to make it 3-0 (67'). Twelve minutes later came the next Bayer 04 counter-attack on the Köln goal but this time Boniface put his shot just wide of the target. The game then eased off. Leverkusen maintained their concentration right to the end of the derby remaining wide-awake at the back. The match ended with Werkself winning 3-0 to pick up important points ahead of the international break.
Most of the Werkself players now go into the two-week international break. That will be followed on Bundesliga matchday eight by an away game at VfL Wolfsburg. The match on Saturday 21 October (kick-off: 15.30 CEST) is at the Volkswagen Arena. That is followed five days later by the next group match in the UEFA Europa League: The Werkself play Qarabag at the BayArena on Thursday 26 October.
Match stats:
Bayer 04: Hradecky - Kossounou, Tah, Tapsoba (Hincapie 71’), Grimaldo - Xhaka, Palacios - Frimpong (80. Tella 80’), Hofmann (Puerta 88’), Wirtz (Adli 71’) - Boniface (Hlozek 80’)
FC Köln: Schwäbe - Carstensen (Kilian 90+1’), Hübers, Chabot, Paqarada - Huseinbasic (Olesen 75’) - Ljubicic, Kainz, Martel (Tigges 75’) - Alidou (Finkgräfe 62’), Selke (Olesen 90+1’)
Goals: 1-0 Hofmann (22’), 2-0 Frimpong (32’), 3-0 Boniface (67’)
Booked: Frimpong, Tapsoba, Tah, Alonso (Head coach) - Baumgart (Head coach)
Referee: Felix Zwayer (Berlin)
Attendance: 30,210 (sold out) at the BayArena
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