Patrik Schick scored the decisive goal in Bayer Leverkusen’s 2–1 Rhine derby win at Cologne on Sunday, 8 November. Aleix García put the visitors ahead from a free kick, and Saïd El Mala’s stoppage-time response made Schick’s late goal the difference on Matchday 9, according to the Bundesliga’s match report.
Both goalkeepers had work to do before García opened the scoring in the seventh minute. Mark Flekken faced efforts from Linton Maina and Sebastian Sebulonsen, while Marvin Schwäbe stopped Schick and then Ibrahim Maza at the other end. García curled in the free kick from around 20 metres and Leverkusen carried that lead into the interval, the league’s account records.
Schwäbe denied Schick again after the break and the striker had a goal ruled out for a handball in the build-up. He eventually reached Maza’s pass, held off Joël Schmied and finished off the far post. In the second minute of stoppage time, substitute Malek El Mala crossed for his brother Saïd to score first time.
Schick’s eighth league goal after nine matchdays matched Leverkusen’s club record at that stage of a Bundesliga season. He also reached eight in 2021–22, equalling Patrick Helmes’s mark from 2008–09. It was Leverkusen’s sixth consecutive league win over Cologne, according to the Bundesliga’s record report.
Archival cover photograph: RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne; not from the current event. Photographer/creator: Raimond Spekking. Image source and metadata; CC BY-SA 4.0. Image date as recorded by source: 2020-04-22 11:12:30. Source file used without raster edits.
