With a six-goal gala, RB Leipzig further increased the suffering of 1. FC Köln and maintained contact with the top of the Bundesliga.
Thanks to a strong first half, the Saxons defeated the second-to-last in the table 6-0 (4-0), but may have had to pay dearly for the victory. Starting eleven returnees Timo Werner and Dani Olmo, who had just recovered, had to be replaced with injuries.
Werner gave the cup winners the lead with a penalty in the 15th minute in front of 46,418 spectators. Lois Openda (40th/45th 3) with a brace and David Raum (43rd) made everything clear before the break. Benjamin Sesko (88th) and Christoph Baumgartner (90th 1) increased the result shortly before the end.
For Leipzig, who are currently in fourth place in the Bundesliga table, it was their ninth game without defeat across the season before they face VfL Wolfsburg in the DFB Cup on Tuesday (6 p.m.). The Rhinelanders suffered their seventh defeat in nine league games and also ended the game outnumbered after the yellow-red card for Mathias Olesen (80th).
Werner in the starting line-up for Poulsen
While Cologne coach Baumgart decided not to make any changes to his team after the 3-1 win in the derby against Gladbach, his counterpart Marco Rose made a tactical change after the 3-1 win in the premier class against Red Star Belgrade and brought Lukas Klostermann into the center of defense. In attack, Werner got the chance for Yussuf Poulsen. Amadou Haidara was allowed to replace Kevin Kampl, who had ankle problems.
The changes paid off: Haidara won the penalty in a duel with Eric Martel on the edge of the penalty area, and Werner safely converted to take the lead. Even before his goal, the fans had already started chanting “Timo Werner”. Unlike his winning goal after his late substitution against Gladbach, this time he celebrated his second goal of the season with abandon.
Cologne held back offensively for a long time, relying more on switching situations. Luca Waldschmidt (34′) had the first and biggest chance when he hit the post at full speed after a cross. But in Cologne’s best phase, Openda skillfully thundered a through ball from Xavi Simons into the corner. With his seventh goal in the ninth game, the Belgian broke Werner’s RB record, who needed twelve games to reach this mark.
The cheers had barely died down when David Raum dived at full speed into a long Henrichs cross. The ball hit the post and bounced off Cologne keeper Marvin Schwäbe’s body and into the goal.
Cologne was now full of the role. Xavi dribbled around the FC defense and set up again for Openda (45.3), who first let Julian Gaston Chabot get out and then shot in low.
Next setback for Dani Olmo
After the change, Werner could have increased his goal tally, but twice (47th/51st) he found his master in Schwäbe. When he was substituted after just over an hour against Dani Olmo, he was loudly celebrated, but kept watching himself. It initially remained unclear whether he had been injured.
On the other hand, RB goalkeeper Janis Blaswich saved against former Leipzig player Davie Selke (54th). Then RB had to digest another shock. Olmo was taken off his feet by Cologne’s Luca Kilian and went into the locker room with a grimace in his face, holding what appeared to be an injured shoulder. The Spaniard, who has just recovered from a sprained knee, should slowly be introduced to full strain over the next few weeks. Now the next setback is looming.
In the final phase, Sesko and Baumgartner increased.
