Werkself review #B04KOE: Derby win through patience, dominance and a "magic moment"

SUMMARY: SUBSTITUTE AND CAPTAIN SCORE

Bayer 04 took control early on and had good chances through Christian Kofane (9’), Malik Tillman (18’) and Robert Andrich (34'). At the other end, Luca Waldschmidt (21’, 28’) had efforts on goal for FC Köln before the break. The second half began with a big chance for Tillman, but he was unable to find the back of the net. The Werkself, who continued to exert more pressure and play with greater conviction than the visitors, brought on subs including Martin Terrier. Kasper Hjulmand demonstrated the Midas touch with this substitution: Terrier fired the Werkself ahead from an Arthur cross to give the Werkself a deserved 1-0 lead (66'). That was the breakthrough. Just six minutes later, captain Andrich doubled the lead from an Aleix Garcia corner with a powerful header to make the final score 2:0.

• Match report

REACTION: "PROUD OF THE TEAM"

Coach Kasper Hjulmand said at the post-match press conference: "It wasn't an easy game. We needed a great performance to get the three points. The players who came in had a good impact. I'm proud of the team. After the defeat at Augsburg, the win was very important for us."

Robert Andrich spoke to Werkself TV: "We were in the game from the start and were in control. We got a good handle on FC Köln’s plan to give little away little and play on the break. We had chances in the first half where we could have scored. Then the game may have turned out to be a bit different. I should have taken my chance." He was referring to his header on 34 minutes, which he missed from an unmarked position. On Sky, Andrich made a witty comment on that incident: "That puts me in a bad mood again." - that is typical of the ambitious Werkself skipper.

Mark Flekken on the derby win: "It's a very good feeling, of course. The mood in the dressing room is good. We can be proud of the way we played today. Now we finally have a normal week. We’ve had a busy schedule recently and hopefully we can make good use of the week, both as a team and individually. We can get more rest and prepare more for the next opponents.

WHAT THE PAPERS SAY: "CLEARLY BETTER IN TERMS OF PLAY AND DESERVED WINNERS"

The kicker called the FC Köln attack "too harmless apart from Waldschmidt" and summed up proceedings as follows: "Leverkusen controlled the action, exerted pressure and were always able to exert strong counter-pressing and the associated ball recoveries." The Rheinische Post found the Werkself "superior in terms of play, as expected" and recognised that the Black and Reds "got off to the better start". The paper also gave top marks to the two goalscorers Martin Terrier and Robert Andrich. For the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, Bayer 04 were the "clearly better team in terms of play" and the "deserved winners".

PERSONNEL: FIRST FOR TERRIER - GARCIA LEADS THE WAY

The derby victory brought some notable stats for the Werkself players. First and foremost for Martin Terrier, whose wonder goal also caused great amazement among coaches, team-mates, commentators and the media. It was his fourth Bundesliga goal in total and his first at home. A moment he had been waiting a long time for. And it could hardly have been more impressive. As in mid-October with the 4-3 win at Mainz 05 in mid-October, when the Frenchman marked his comeback with a goal after a nine-month injury lay-off, he came off the bench to score. Terrier: "I think it's the best goal of my career. I'm very happy to have helped the team with it. Especially in a game like this." How did this goal come about? Terrier happily explained: "I was actually too quick at the start for Arthur's cross. Then I saw the ball behind me and thought to myself: 'OK, I'll just go for it now'. I took the chance and it worked. In French, by the way, a goal like that is called a coup du scorpion." In English: A scorpion goal.

Robert Andrich spoke afterwards about an "amazing goal", coach Kasper Hjulmand called it a "magic moment" - and had more words of praise: "Martin works hard every day. It was fantastic and he deserves this goal!" Werkself Radio commentator Niko Hartmann, who as usual commentated on the game live on bayer04.de and in the Bayer 04 app, also lost all restraint at this wonder goal: "A massive goal! With his heel! Volley! The goal of the year at the BayArena! And in the derby against FC Köln!" he said hailing the strike with fervour and passion.

The media also had words of praise for Terrier's goal. While kicker described it as a "stroke of genius [...] in the style of Zlatan Ibrahimovic", the Bild Zeitung ran the headline: "This goal is sensational!" And it added: "Welcome to every annual review, Martin Terrier!"

The second goal was scored by Robert Andrich. It was the captain's first in the Bundesliga since October 2024 and only the second time he has scored with his head with goal number 19. Aleix Garcia's assist for the goal was his fourth in the league this term, equalling his tally from the previous campaign (28 games). The Spaniard, who also had the most touches of the ball against FC Köln, is currently Leverkusen's top provider in the league. And since matchday 8, only Michael Olise (6, Bayern Munich) and Christoph Baumgartner (5, RB Leipzig) have provided more assists than Garcia in the league.

More good news: Ezequiel Fernández was back in the matchday squad for the first time since his injury at the end of October. However, the Argentinian was an unused sub. The only negative news in terms of personnel: Jarell Quansah picked up his fifth yellow card of the Bundesliga season against the Cologne side and that means the Englishman will miss next weekend's game at RB Leipzig.

STATS: MORE POSSESSION, MORE SHOTS ON GOAL

Proof of the Black and Red dominance: Leverkusen had 73 per cent possession in the opening quarter of an hour, while the final tally was 61 to 39 per cent in favour of Bayer 04. The Black and Reds had 17 shots on goal, FC Köln five. The Werkself also had the better completed pass ratio (88 to 78 per cent). Only successful challenges favoured the team from Cologne (53 to 47 per cent).

COMING UP: LAST GAME OF 2025 IN LEIPZIG

The final match of the calendar year is coming up. On Saturday, 20 December (kick-off: 18:30 CET), the Werkself are away to RB Leipzig. 2026 kicks off on Saturday, 10 January at 18:30 CET with a home fixture against VfB Stuttgart.