Anthony Modeste inspires Cologne comeback to draw with Bayer Leverkusen
Anthony Modeste reached half a century of goals for Cologne, inspiring them to recover from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Bayer Leverkusen in a Rhine Derby of two halves.
Cologne 2-2 Leverkusen
Goals: 1-0 Schick 15' (assist: Diaby), 0-2 Bellarabi 17', 1-2 Modeste 63' (assist: Hector), 2-2 Modeste 82' (assist: Andersson)
Both sides burst into action, as can be expected in a Rhine derby, and Cologne held possession well early on. Leverkusen posed a greater threat on the counter-attack, though, and it was from one that they took the lead. Modeste's diagonal ball was intercepted by Robert Andrich, who swiftly sent Moussa Diaby on his way. He teed up Schick, who provided the finish you would expect from the Czech Republic international. Andrich was at the heart of the action again just two minutes later, as his persistence led to the ball landing up at the feet of Karim Bellarabi, who doubled Leverkusen's lead - and it could have been three for the guests when Jeremie Frimpong's effort rattled the crossbar. Cologne did have chances to reduce the arrears, and they could not be faulted for their effort, but a two-goal deficit at the break was always going to be hard to recover from.
The Billy Goats set out to do just that in the second half and took the game to Leverkusen, although this looked to play into the hands of the guests' counter-attacking style, with both Schick and Florian Wirtz spurning chances to put them out of sight. The game changed after an hour when Tah misjudged a Jonas Hector cross and Modeste accepted the gift from close range to reduce the arrears. Cologne continued to press and they stunned their guests with less than ten minutes to go when Modeste brought them level. Andersson held off Odilon Kossounou and nodded a throw-in on for Modeste to head in his and Cologne's second of the game, earning them a share of the spoils at the RheinEnergieSTADION.
Watch: Modeste: "Everything's possible in football"
Match stats
- Schick's eighth Bundesliga goal of the season is the most by a Leverkusen player after nine matchdays since Patrick Helmes in 2008.
- Five of Schick's eight Bundesliga goals this season have come away from home, and five have been assisted by Wirtz.
- Modeste moved onto 50 goals for Cologne, becoming only the 10th player in the club's history to reach that landmark.
- The Frenchman has now scored four headed goals this season – more than any other player in the Bundesliga.
- Leverkusen have the best record of all Bundesliga clubs away from home this season, with 11 points.
Watch: Hradecky: "That makes me really angry"
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Line-ups
Cologne: T. Horn - Schmitz (Schindler 79'), Kilian, Czichos, Hector (c) - Ljubicic - Özcan, Uth (Schaub 90'+2), Kainz (Thielmann 79') - Duda (Andersson 77') - Modeste
Unused subs: Schwäbe, Hübers, Ehizibue, Mere, Ostrak
Out: Skhiri (knee), J. Horn (hip)
Coach: Steffen Baumgart
Leverkusen: Hradecky (c) - Frimpong, Kossounou, Tah, Hincapie (Bakker 45'+4) - Andrich, Demirbay - Bellarabi (Adli 36'), Wirtz (Palacios 77'), Diaby (Tapsoba 77') - Schick
Unused subs: Lunev, Retsos, Paulinho, Amiri, Alario
Out: Aranguiz (calf), Baumgartlinger (knee), Fosu-Mensah (knee)
Coach: Gerardo Seoane
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