- Jeremie Frimpong and Alejandro Grimaldo scored to seal the 2-0 victory
- Cologne midfielder Jan Thielmann received a red card in the first 15 minutes.
- Will adrenaline help Liverpool overcome the quadruple pressure or will they fall off a cliff? everything is beginning podcast
Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen are 10 points clear of Bayern Munich at the top of the Bundesliga table after claiming a 2-0 win against FC Cologne in Sunday afternoon’s Rhine derby in the RheinEnergieSTADION.
The Bundesliga title now appears to be quickly slipping away from Thomas Tuchel’s side as the Bavarian side drew 2-2 against Freiburg on Friday afternoon.
Meanwhile, Leverkusen have enjoyed a sensational season, going unbeaten in all tournaments and today, thanks to goals from Jeremie Frimpong and Alejandro Grimaldo, they have come even closer to winning their first Bundesliga title.
They were able to capitalize on a numerical mismatch after Jan Thielmann received a straight red card in the 14th minute of the match for a foul on Granit Xhaka.
Leverkusen would dominate the first half, with 72 percent possession, but had to wait for their first goal to arrive.
Bayer Leverkusen is 10 points ahead of Bayern Munich at the top of the Bundesliga table.
Goals from Jeremie Frimpong (pictured right) and Alejandro Grimaldo saw them defeat FC Colonia 2-0 on Sunday.
Xabi Alonso’s side are now well on their way to claiming their first Bundesliga title this season.
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Grimaldo sent a dangerous cross into the Cologne penalty area to find Patrik Schick, who passed the ball behind him to Frimpong, unmarked in the penalty area, who struck with his right foot to give the visitors the lead.
Alonso’s team went into second gear after the break, with nine attempts on goal, but struggled to capitalize on their opportunities despite having scored 61 goals in 24 league games this season.
The breakthrough came in the 73rd minute, when Grimaldo, who was excellent throughout the match, collected a pass from Amine Adli inside the penalty area, before firing a low shot into the goal.
It appeared to deflect off the inside of Cologne goalkeeper Marvin Schwabe’s thigh before rolling into the back of the net.
It was an outstanding performance from the left-back, who already has 10 goals and 11 assists in all competitions this season.
For Cologne, the defeat means they will remain in 16th place in the Bundesliga standings in the relegation play-off place, having failed to win in their last four games.
No team has failed to win the league title after holding a 10-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga table, and Leverkusen are now in a great position to break Bayern’s streak of 11 consecutive titles.
Frimpong (center) put Leverkusen ahead in the 38th minute, taking advantage of a pass from Patrik Schick.
Alejandro Grimaldo put the visitors 2-0 up in the second half, with a low shot to seal the victory.
Cologne’s Jan Thielmann received a red card in the 14th minute of the match, so the home team had to play with 10 men for 75 minutes.
Thielmann had fouled Granit Xhaka (left), who was visibly incensed by the challenge.
More to continue…
