Back
16.12.2020Bundesliga

4-0 derby win for the Werkself at FC Köln

A clear away win, still top of the table: Bayer 04 secured a significant three points away to FC Köln in the penultimate game of the calendar year. A great performance by the Werkself secured a deserved 4-0 win on the other side of the Rhine with goals from Mitchell Weiser, Moussa Diaby, Patrik Schick and Florian Wirtz.
crop_20201216_JS_KOE_B04_0489.jpg

As the team bus left the team hotel in Leverkusen, a number of Werkself fans gathered along the street forming a suitably distanced guard of honour as they gave their team vocal and colourful support ahead of the 65th derby against FC Köln. Head coach Peter Bosz intended to make two changes to his starting line-up in comparison to the 4-1 home win against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim: Aleksandar Dragovic started in central defence in place of Edmond Tapsoba and Wendell came in at left back for Daley Sinkgraven. Good news: Kerem Demirbay was back in the squad after recovering from a Covid-19 infection. However, defender Lars Bender had to drop out during the warm-up. Mitchell Weiser started in place of last year's captain – a precautionary measure due to a muscle problem in his thigh.

Weiser: From the bench to goalscorer

The first touch of the ball after referee Tobias Stieler started the game was made by the former FC Köln youth player Florian Wirtz – and the first corner after less than ten seconds also went to the Werkself. There was no threat from that set piece but the visitors from Leverkusen were dynamic and in charge of the game. After one or two attacks that proved fruitless, the ball did end up in the back of the FC Köln net after eight minutes: A free kick from Nadiem Amiri was headed clear by Sebastiaan Bornauw – but his header dropped straight in front of Weiser who simply volleyed the ball with his left foot into the corner of the net to open the scoring (8'). And the next move saw the visitors double the lead: Moussa Diaby sprinted through the opposition from the middle of the pitch and fired a shot from 18 yards out into the net to make it 2-0 (10').

20201216_JS_KOE_B04_0567.jpg

There was danger for the hosts again on 28 minutes when Amiri hit a shot from the right but the ball went the wrong side of the left upright. Shortly after that came the first big chance for the hosts who had more of the game at this stage: Defender Bornauw met a free kick with his head but his effort went inches wide of the left-hand post (30'). After a relatively incident-free 15 minutes, the Werkself took a 2-0 lead into the half-time break.

Schick and Wirtz on target

A couple of minutes after the restart and the Werkself added the third goal of the night: From the halfway line, Amiri sent Diaby down the left flank. The Frenchman took the ball to the byline and cut it back for Patrik Schick to run onto and he skilfully turned it into the far corner of the net on the move (55'). But there was more to come: Just four minutes later, Bailey found the former Köln player Wirtz unmarked in the penalty area and he was able to calmly slot the ball into the back of the net to make it 4-0.

20201216_JS_KOE_B04_1352.jpg

With the clear lead, head coach Bosz made three changes in the middle of the second half. The 56-year-old brought on Karim Bellarabi, Tapsoba and Demirbay on his return to the squad (67’). Centre forward Schick almost made it 5-0 on 73 minutes – but the Czech Republic international only hit the woodwork. Amiri was then denied by the FC Köln keeper Timo Horn (76'). The final quarter of an hour saw Lucas Alario and Daley Sinkgraven join the fray. Nothing else really happened and the Werkself were able to secure the 4-0 win without a problem.

Bayern are coming: First against second in year-end finale

Thanks to the convincing victory against FC Köln, the Black and Reds remain top of the table in Germany's top flight. This Saturday, 19 December (kick-off: 18.30 CET), brings an absolute top match at the BayArena – second-placed Bayern Munich are the visitors to Leverkusen.

Match stats:

FC Köln: T. Horn – Wolf, Cestic, Bornauw, J. Horn (Limnios 42'), Jakobs – Rexhbecaj (Hector 65'), Skhiri (Meré 65'), Özcan, Thielmann (Ehizibue 46’) – Andersson (Modeste 65’)

Bayer 04: Hradecky – Weiser, Tah, Dragovic (Tapsoba 67'), Wendell – Wirtz, Baumgartlinger (Demirbay 67’), Amiri (Sinkgraven 78’) – Bailey (Bellarabi 67’), Schick (Alario 78’), Diaby

Goals: 0-1 Weiser (8’), 0-2 Diaby (10’), 0-3 Schick (55’), 0-4 Wirtz (59’)

Booked: J. Horn – Dragovic

Referee: Tobias Stieler (Hamburg)

Related News

DFB-Pokal
DFB-Pokal - 03.11.2024

Werkself away to FC Bayern in DFB Pokal Round of 16

The next opponents in the 2024/25 DFB Pokal have been confirmed: The Werkself are away to Bayern Munich in the Round of 16. That was the outcome of the draw held on Sunday night, 3 November, at the German Football Museum in Dortmund. DFB sporting director Rudi Völler led the draw with European championship saxophonist André Schnura picking out the teams.

Show more
Aleix Garcia Torjubel
Bayer 04 - 02.11.2024

Vote for Aleix Garcia in October’s Goal of the Month!

ARD’s Sportschau has released the five nominees for October 2024’s Goal of the Month in Germany, with Aleix Garcia’s free-kick in the DFB Pokal against Elversberg on the shortlist. Bayer 04 fans have until 7pm CET on 23 November to vote.

Show more
Nordi Mukiele
Bayer 04 - 02.11.2024

Nordi Mukiele set to miss next two games

Bayer 04 will be without Nordi Mukiele for the coming two games away at Liverpool and Bochum. The French defender suffered a muscular injury in his left thigh in Friday’s Bundesliga match against VfB Stuttgart.

Show more
Mannschaft vor Fans
Bundesliga - 02.11.2024

Werkself review #B04VFB: “Had enough chances to win”

Goals, spectacle and tactical battles were themes of most recent encounters between Bayer 04 and VfB Stuttgart, but Friday’s Bundesliga meeting somehow ended goalless. It wasn’t that Leverkusen were any less attacking than usual, and in fact they produced perhaps their best performance of the season with 19 shots, but it just lacked a goal. We round up the reaction and numbers behind the opening fixture of Matchday 9 in our Werkself review.

Show more
No reward for impressive Werkself | 9th matchday
Werkself-TV - 01.11.2024

TV highlights of 0-0 draw against Stuttgart

Werkself-TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04’s 0-0 draw against VfB Stuttgart on the 9th matchday of the 2024/25 Bundesliga campaign…

clubExklusivExclusive content for club member Become a club member