Piljic scores from centre circle: Women rescue point in replayed derby

Four days after the 2-0 win at TSG Hoffenheim, Pätzold made three changes to the starting XI. Julia Mickenhagen, Selina Ostermeier, who made her comeback at Hoffenheim after weeks out injured, and Juliette Vidal started in place of Estrella Merino Gonzalez, Lilla Turanyi and Katharina Piljic. Eleven days ago, play in the derby was first suspended and the game then abadoned after 35 minutes due to floodlight failure with FC Köln leading 1-0. The German Football Association (DFB) rescheduled the match last Saturday.

FC Köln make livelier start

As in the abandoned game, the FC Köln Women started courageously, and after six minutes Friederike Repohl was tested in the Werkself goal for the first time saving a header from Adriana Achcinska. Shortly after that, Repohl was also on hand to save a long-range effort by Laura Feiersinger (12'). Köln were the more livelier team at that point with the visitors gradually working their way into the game. The first attempt on goal by Valentina Mädl, set up by Kristin Kögel, hit the side netting at the right-hand post (18). At the other end, Laura Donhauser had an attempt on goal shot but she failed to get enough power behind her shot (25').

FC Köln still had more of the play after the half-hour mark. The hosts' best chance to take the lead was thwarted by Repohl five minutes before the break, when kept out a Martyna Wiankowska shot from the edge of the six-yard box turning the shot away for a corner with an impressive flying save. In stoppage time in the first half, Repohl's opposite number Irina Fuchs saved a deflected shot from Sofie Zdebel. The teams went into the half-time break all square at 0-0.

FC Köln take the lead with a penalty

At half-time, Pätzold reacted to his team's mixed performance in the first half. Carlotta Wamser, the injured Vidal and Valentina Mädl made way for Merino Gonzalez, Piljic and Caroline Kehrer. Again, it was FC Köln who had the upper hand. From a through ball, Claudia Wenger brought down Sandra Jessen in the penalty area and Feiersinger converted the penalty (48'). Before the Werkself had recovered from going behind, Jessen again tested Repohl with a header (53'). Pätzold then made another change with Kögel replaced by Loreen Bender, a goalscorer at Hoffenheim (55').

Leverkusen became more aggressive in attack. Substitute Piljic forced Fuchs into a save (59'), and Pätzold's team became more and more entrenched in their opponents' half. But Köln continued to pose a threat: a header from Paulina Bremer, who had just come on as a substitute, narrowly missed the target (68'). The Bayer 04 Women found it difficult against a compact defence and rarely threatened the opposition box. Instead, FC Köln doubled the lead at 2-0 when Kehrer deflected a Wiankowska free-kick into her own net (72').

A foul gave the visitors renewed hope. Wiankowska brought down Wenger following a corner and Fudalla converted the penalty for her fifth goal of the season (76'). In the heated final phase, the powerful header of a ball Melissa Friedrich, a centre-back, replaced Ruby Grant (86'). Two minutes later, Piljic saw that Fuchs had rushed out of her goal and she curled the ball into the net from around 50 metres out to level at 2-2 (88'). Two minutes later, Fudalla missed the third goal for the Werkself by centimetres. Deep into stoppage time, Jessen missed the chance to grab the winner at the other end. The scoreline remained 2-2 after the late comeback from the Bayer 04 Women.

coming up: TOP game against WOLFSBURG on sunday

The Werkself's next game is just three days away: Pätzold's team host runners-up VfL Wolfsburg at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium on Sunday, 19 October (17:15 CEST) in the final game on matchday 7. Tickets for the match are available HERE. The international break follows next week with some of the players involved in the UEFA Women's Nations League.

Match stats:

FC Köln: Fuchs - Wiankowska, Hegering, Agrez, Gerhardt (Imping 65’) - Vogt (90+4’ Degen), Feiersinger - Donhauser (Leimenstoll 65’), Achcinska (Bremer 65’), Zawistowska (Stolze 46’) - Jessen

Bayer 04: Repohl - Wamser (Merino Gonzalez 46’), Wenger, Ostermeier, Mickenhagen - Zdebel, Vidal (Piljic 46’) - Grant (Friedrich 86’), Kögel (Bender 59’), Mädl (Kehrer 46’), Fudalla

Goalscorers: 1-0 Feiersinger (48' pen.), 2-0 Kehrer (72' o.g.), 2-1 Fudalla (76' pen.), 2-2 Piljic (88')

Yellow cards: Vogt, Jessen, Wiankowska, Imping - Wamser, Bender

Referee: Naemi Breier (Zerf)

Attendance: 2,208 at the Franz Kremer Stadion