Bundesliga
Davie Selke struck twice in the first half as Cologne inflicted a 2-1 Rhine derby defeat on Bayer Leverkusen, edging closer to safety as a result and damaging their neighbours' top-six hopes in the process.
Leverkusen 1-2 Cologne
Goals: 0-1 Selke 14' (assist: Kainz), 1-1 Adli 28' (assist: Diaby), 1-2 Selke 36' (assist Thielmann)
Unbeaten in 14 competitive matches at kick-off, Leverkusen enjoyed the better start and were very much on top when Cologne took a surprise lead as Selke ghosted into space behind Jonathan Tah to guide Florian Kainz's cross into the net. Unfazed, Xabi Alonso's side continued to go on the front foot and equalised just before the half-hour mark when Amine Adli swept in Moussa Diaby's pass to complete a lightning-fast counter-attack. Parity did not last long, however, as Selke doubled his tally after getting ahead of Edmond Tapsoba to covert another right-wing cross, this time from Jan Thielmann.
Leverkusen struggled to break down their visitors in the second half and in fact it was the Billy Goats who had the clearest chance when Jonas Hector smashed a half-volley at goal that Lukas Hradecky did well to keep out. It took until the 68th minute for Die Werkself to produce a serious opening when Florian Wirtz played Diaby into space, but his shot from a tight angle was cleared for a corner. A spate of substitutions and tactical fouls interrupted the flow of the game thereafter, with Cologne forced deep in the closing stages as Leverkusen desperately sought an equaliser: the introduction of a striker in Sardar Azmoun for a centre-back in Jonathan Tah giving an indication of their eagerness to salvage something. Ultimately, however, they could not find a way through as Cologne held on for three points that should be enough to keep them in the top flight for another year.
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Watch: Xabi Alonso: "The defeat will be useful"
Leverkusen: Hradecky (c) - Tapsoba, Tah (Azmoun 81'), Hincapie - Frimpong, Andrich, Amiri (Hlozek 57'), Bakker (Palacios 57') - Diaby, Adli (Bellarabi 89'), Wirtz
Unused subs: Pentz, Kossounou, Sinkgraven, Fosu-Mensah, Demirbay
Out: Lunev (back), Schick (groin)
Coach: Xabi Alonso
Cologne: Schwäbe - Schmitz, Hübers, Chabot, Hector (c) - Skhiri, Ljubicic (Huseinbasic 85') - Thielmann (Olesen 65'), Maina (Adamyan 86'), Kainz (Schindler 65') - Selke (Tigges 71')
Unused subs: Horn, Pedersen, Kilian, Limnios
Out: Dietz (cruciate ligament), Martel (suspended), Uth (pelvis)
Coach: Steffen Baumgart