Match of the month: 40 years ago – Highest scoring Bundesliga derby

Bayer 04 coach Dettmar Cramer had already announced his departure from Leverkusen two months before. His successor, Erich Ribbeck from the DFB, was already confirmed. So everybody who cared about the Black and Reds wanted to see a sensible and to the season.

FC Köln are third in the table. There is no room for improvement above and the lead over fifth place, a position securing qualification in the UEFA Cup, is three points.

Five goals before half-time

It is an entertaining game from the start. A wonder goal from Christian Schreier gives Bayer 04 the lead on 22 minutes but FC Köln level three minutes later through Pierre Littbarski. A mistake by the FC keeper Toni Schumacher, who lets a weak long-range effort from Dirk Schlegel into his net, and two goals for the Cologne team give FC Köln a 3-2 lead at half-time.

The Goats go 4-2 up after the restart from a corner and look like the certain winners. However, the visitors miss a number of chances. And the Werkself pull a goal back from the penalty spot through Herbert Waas. The same player equalises at 4-4 on 75 minutes.

The match is very entertaining and the scoreline remains the same to the end. The eight goals scored in this game make it the highest scoring derby in the Bundesliga.

The two line-ups for the nostalgic amongst us:

Bayer 04: Vollborn – A. Reinhardt, Bast, Gelsdorf, Hinterberger, Röber, Patzke (Pomp 46’), Schlegel (Geschlecht 81’), Giske, Waas, Schreier

FC Köln: Schumacher – Prestin, Lefkes, Hönerbach, Geils, Lehnhoff (Geilenkirchen 65’), Häßler (Haas 55’), Gielchen, Engels, Littbarski, Allofs