Patrik Schick scored a late winner as Bayer Leverkusen beat Cologne 2-1 in the Rhine derby at the RheinEnergieStadion on Sunday, 8 November 2026. The Czech striker struck in the 85th minute to settle a feisty Bundesliga encounter and lift the visitors into the top five of the table.

Leverkusen had arrived in Cologne looking to end a run of three successive defeats against top-flight opponents, and they made a fast start. Inside the opening minutes, goalkeeper Marvin Schwabe had already been forced into a fine save to keep out Schick, who had been set up by Ibrahim Maza, and the home keeper then denied Maza's follow-up effort as well.

The breakthrough came in the seventh minute, and it was worth the wait. Aleix Garcia stepped up to a free kick around 20 metres from goal and curled the ball into the top left corner, giving Schwabe no chance. It was Garcia's third successive goal, and it capped a bright opening from the visitors, who had been the sharper side from the first whistle.

Cologne responded well and created chances of their own before the break. Sebastian Sebulonsen almost levelled soon after the opener, only for his close-range effort to be saved by Mark Flekken, and Marius Bulter's low cross caused further problems for the Leverkusen defence. But the visitors held firm, and Cologne went in at half-time trailing 1-0 for the fifth time in nine Bundesliga matches this season.

The second half turned feisty, with yellow cards mounting on both sides as challenges flew in and tempers frayed. Mikey Moore was booked within seconds of the restart for a foul on Facundo Medina, and a flashpoint around a penalty appeal brought further cautions for players from both teams. Schwabe continued to keep Cologne in the contest with another excellent save to deny Schick from the edge of the area.

Schick thought he had doubled the lead shortly afterwards, only for his finish to be ruled out for a handball in the build-up. The striker was not to be denied, however. In the 85th minute he latched onto a pass from Maza, brushed off defender Joel Schmied, and slotted the ball into the far corner to make it 2-0. It was Schick's eighth goal in nine Bundesliga games this season, and it proved to be the decisive moment of the match.

Cologne refused to give in. Substitute Malek El Mala crossed sharply from the right in stoppage time, and his brother Said El Mala met the ball first time on the volley to beat Flekken and pull one back in the 92nd minute. The spectacular consolation strike set up a tense finish, but there was not enough time left for an equaliser, and Leverkusen held on for the win.

The victory was Leverkusen's sixth successive win over Cologne, and it extended the hosts' wait for a first home league win against their Rhine rivals since December 2019. It also moved Leverkusen up to fifth in the Bundesliga table as the league pauses for the international break, a welcome return to winning ways after a difficult run of results. For Cologne, the defeat means they missed the chance to go unbeaten in their first five home fixtures of a Bundesliga season for only the third time in 34 years.