Bayer Leverkusen solidified their position at the summit of the Bundesliga table, stretching their lead to a commanding 10 points over second-placed Bayern Munich with a 2-0 victory against Cologne in the intense Rhein derby.
The match took an early dramatic turn as Cologne's Jan Thielmann was shown a red card just 14 minutes in for a reckless challenge on Granit Xhaka, leaving his team a man down for the remainder of the game. Leverkusen capitalized on their numerical advantage, breaking the deadlock before halftime through Jeremie Frimpong's close-range finish off a Patrik Schick flick-on.
Despite Cologne's resilient efforts, Leverkusen sealed the win in the 73rd minute when Álex Grimaldo's deflected shot found the back of the net. Cologne's hopes of a comeback were dashed as Leverkusen maintained control to see out the match comfortably.
With Leverkusen now unbeaten in 34 games across all competitions this season, the Bundesliga title race appears to be firmly in their grasp. However, defender Jonathan Tag emphasized the importance of maintaining focus in the remaining matches to avoid any potential slip-ups and shed their "Neverkusen" reputation.
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