What the papers say: 'Closer to victory'

"We definitely have too few points in the league," said Ömer Toprak after the 1-1 draw for the Werkself in the derby against FC Köln, "but now we want to recharge our batteries in Orlando, work hard on the system and, as in the last two years, come through the field from behind." The media also identify a suitable reaction and performance from Bayer 04 after several difficult weeks. Read on for what the papers say:

 The Kicker headline reads 'Bayer move up a gear, FC stand still' and the report continues: "The two teams provided a very lively encounter in this Rhineland clash…Bayer played more on the ground while FC tried long balls to overcome the initial pressing from the visitors…Bayer were rewarded for the large number of chances with a deserved equaliser just before the break, clearly increased the tempo after the restart and had more of the game." The Kicker assessment is: "Bayer were closer to victory and had more possession above all in the second half."
The Rheinische Post takes the following position: "All the members of the management at Leverkusen appealed to the players to significantly improve the work rate compared with the 2-1 defeat against Ingolstadt. There was not much more to say and the team obviously took the words to heart. Leverkusen played in derby mode as did FC. The match developed into a game full of challenges."
The Cologne-based Express reports: "Bayer were first out of the blocks and quickly put FC under pressure in the Köln half. After 15 minutes, FC fought their way back into the game and took the lead thanks to a flash of genius from their star striker. Frederik Sörensen crossed into the box from the right for Modeste to beat Aleksandar Dragovic before shooting into the corner of the net from 11 yards out. The strike had an effect on the visitors who were struggling at that point. Bayer did have more possession but were unable to do much with it as Köln defended well. But then Kai Havertz had a flash of inspiration: The youngster played a delightful pass to the unmarked Wendell coolly slotted the ball past the FC keeper Thomas Kessler into the back of the net."
The Kölner Stadt Anzeiger chose the headline: "Festive evening without losers" and continues: "FC Köln’s lead had a reasonable effect on the course of the game with both sides initially continuing as before. FC were very disciplined but lacked dominance while Leverkusen continued to have more possession but with no end product. At some point the Werkself came a little more ambitious. And then came the chances. Thomas Kessler saved a long-range effort from Calhanoglu who then put a shot over the bar from close range. The Köln fans have long said their team is number one on the Rhine and that is currently undeniable given the relative positions in the table. Then came the leveller shortly after the restart. Wendell had as much space in the Köln half as his team-mate Kai Havertz. The two Leverkusen players combine well to surprise sleepy FC defence – and the Brazilian converted his chance from a few yards out."
The Kölnische Rundschau assessment is it was a "deserved draw": "The 46,000 Köln and around 4,000 Leverkusen fans created a great derby atmosphere from the start. That was not difficult given the pacey and hard-fought game. Both teams fought for every inch of the slippery pitch from the start. There were goalscoring opportunities at both ends with both teams scoring once."