Werkself Review #KOEB04: Derby winning run extended thanks to 'clinical conversion'

Summary: Schick strikes either side of half-time

After the hosts made the better start, Patrik Schick had the best chance of the game so far in the 14th minute with a shot against the post. Köln's Said El Mala also struck the woodwork before Schick converted a penalty - given for handball by Eric Martel - to make it 1-0 in the 43rd minute. Early in the second half, it was the Czech international who again found the net from Nathan Tella's assist to make it 2-0. The Billy Goats did reduce the deficit through substitute Luca Waldschmidt in the 78th minute, but the Werkself stood firm in the face of Köln pressure after that and took home the three points. Read the full match report.

Reaction: 'Derby win means a lot to the fans, club and us as a team'

Match-winner Schick told Werkself-TV afterwards: "This derby win means a lot to the fans, the club and us as a team. We're in the fight for the Champions League and we want to win our remaining three matches as well. The hope and the desire are absolutely there with us - we can do this!" When asked about his impressive recent scoring streak (more on that in the 'Personnel' section), the striker said: "I'm training well and always giving the maximum. The team also help me a lot. We don't just need goals, though, it's most of all about the points." Goalkeeper Janis Blaswich, who deputised for the injured Mark Flekken, summarised: "We were lacking a bit of resoluteness and intensity at the start, but then we got into it better and the opening goal came at a good time, as did the second goal. At the end of the day, the three points are the most important thing here."

Meanwhile, head coach Kasper Hjulmand gave his assessment of events: "It was a very difficult match. Football is mad sometimes: last week against Augsburg we had 36 attempts and lost (2-1), today the opponents had more chances and we won. We're just very happy about the important three points for the table and of course about winning the derby. Now we focus on the next big match next week at home to Leipzig."

What the papers say: 'Kept the pace in tight race for Champions League'

kicker went with the headline "Two-goal Schick hands Leverkusen derby win" and spoke of the home side's "profligacy" as well as the Werkself's "clinical chance conversion". The reasons for the Leverkusen win in the eyes of the Bild-Zeitung: "The Werkself [...] claim an important win because they took their chances, because they had a rock in goal in Janis Blaswich, who replaced Mark Flekken (muscular problems) at short notice, and because goalscorer Patrik Schick was clinical in front of goal."

The Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger referred to both teams' position in the table in its analysis: "Bayer Leverkusen have kept the pace in the tight race for the Champions League. On the fourth-from-last matchday, the team [...] won 2-1 in the derby at Rhineland neighbours 1. FC Köln - and increased Köln's relegation fears at the same time."

Personnel: Schick and Tella complete hundreds – duo make comeback

Schick is the man of the hour in the Leverkusen attack. The Czech not only scored his fifth and sixth goals in the last five Bundesliga matches in the derby, but also hit 100 competitive goals for Bayer 04 - in just 207 appearances. Tella also celebrated a hundred at the RheinEnergieSTADION: the Nigerian, who's been in Leverkusen since 2023 and recently extended his contract until 2031, made his 100th competitive appearance for the club. Congratulations to both on these milestones!

Blaswich, for his part, started between the posts again for the first time since the Champions League round of 16 second leg at Arsenal in mid-March. The 34-year-old registered eight saves against Köln and was awarded a rating of 2 by the Rheinischen Post and 1.5 by the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger. In other good news, Arthur and Eliesse Ben Seghir both made their comebacks after a number of months on the sidelines as second-half substitutes.

Stats: Overtaken Schalke in 'all-time table'

Saturday's victory has moved Bayer 04 above FC Schalke 04 into eighth place in the all-time Bundesliga table. "That shows that Bayer 04 is among the very best clubs in Germany," commented managing director sport Simon Rolfes. "This table does not lie - we've been in the Bundesliga uninterrupted for 47 years and have earned a status that we're proud of. The level that we've reached nationally and internationally is a huge incentive for us to keep improving." The Werkself have amassed 2,565 points in 1,599 games (Schalke 2,563 in 1,832). Bayer 04 previously overtook Köln last year and now lie 73 points behind seventh-placed Eintracht Frankfurt.

Looking ahead: Leipzig, Stuttgart and Hamburg to finish

The headline fixture of Matchday 32 takes place at the BayArena next Saturday, 2 May (kick-off 18:30 CEST) when RB Leipzig visit for the penultimate home match of the season. That's followed a week later by another crunch clash against a rival for the Champions League places at VfB Stuttgart (9 May, 15:30 CEST), before the final game of the season at home to Hamburger SV on Saturday 16 May (15:30 CEST).