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1.11.2021Bayer 04

From the archives: First top-flight derby

After FC Köln prevented our team getting promoted to the first division of the Oberliga West in May 1949, the first top-flight derby came on 4 November 1951. On matchday 10, the as yet unbeaten newcomers Bayer 04 Leverkusen were the visitors at Müngersdorf.
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A real invasion from Leverkusen was on the cards and the non-stop trams struggled to cope with the masses. At the kick off, there were 30,000 spectators at the stadium including at least 5,000 from Leverkusen. FC Köln immediately took charge and dominated possession. Frenetically driven on, the hosts created chance after chance but the Leverkusen defence around Habets and Frömmel along with goalkeeper Mutz offered brave resistance.

After the first half hour, Bayer 04 mounted the occasional attack and took a 1-0 lead on 33 minutes with a low shot from Emil 'Bubi' Becks. Shortly after that, the same player hammered the ball against the underside of the Köln crossbar – Leverkusen deservedly took a lead into half-time.

Bayer team second after win in cologne

Köln came out fighting in the second half as they looked for the equaliser. However, they were brought to a juddering halt by their own defender Langen with an overhit back pass that the FC Köln goalkeeper de Munck was unable to reach.

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The Bayer team defended the 2-0 lead with all they had and deservedly left the pitch as winners. The newcomers were now second in the table behind Rot-Weiß Essen.

Here are the line-ups of the two teams:

Köln: de Munck – Langen, Graf, Mebus, Schütz, Gawliczek, Becker, Alexius, Schemmerling, Röhrig, Schäfer

Bayer 04: Mutz – Habets, Frömmel, Nußbaum, Röger, Dr. Wichelhaus, Brecht, Spikofski, Becks, Flohr, Wiorek

 

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