Bayer Leverkusen stretched their lead at the summit of the Bundesliga to 10 points over second-placed Bayern Munich following a commanding 2-0 victory against Cologne in a heated Rhein derby.
The contest took an early turn in Leverkusen's favor when Cologne's Jan Thielmann received a red card in the 14th minute for a reckless tackle on Granit Xhaka. Despite the numerical advantage, Leverkusen struggled to break through until Jeremie Frimpong found the net just before halftime, capitalizing on Patrik Schick's flicked header from Álex Grimaldo's cross.
Cologne had a chance to equalize early in the second half, but Sargis Adamyan's volley struck the post. Leverkusen's persistence paid off in the 73rd minute when Grimaldo, assisted by Amine Adli, slotted home his ninth league goal of the season, sealing Cologne's fate.
With this win, Leverkusen maintained their unbeaten streak of 34 games across all competitions this season and moved clear at the top of the Bundesliga standings. Their quest for a maiden Bundesliga title appears promising, but manager Xabi Alonso stressed the importance of remaining focused with 10 matches left in the season.
On the other hand, Cologne's defeat leaves them precariously positioned in 16th place, the relegation playoff spot, trailing eight points from safety.
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