- Jonas Hofmann - 22'
- Jeremie Frimpong - 32'
- Victor Boniface - 67'
Leverkusen move top of Bundesliga with 3-0 win over Cologne
Bayer Leverkusen hammer sorry Cologne to stay top of the Bundesliga
Goals from Jonas Hofmann, Jeremie Frimpong and Victor Boniface give Bayer Leverkusen a 3-0 victory over FC Cologne in the Bundesliga.
LEVERKUSEN, Germany, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Bayer Leverkusen cruised past Cologne 3-0 on Sunday to take the lead in the Bundesliga title race with their sixth win in seven league matches.
Xabi Alonso's team, who are still undefeated, scored twice in the first half through Jonas Hofmann and Jeremie Frimpong and added a third through the club's top scorer Victor Boniface midway through the second half.
They are now on 19 points, one ahead of second-placed VfB Stuttgart, and two in front of Borussia Dortmund, who are third.
Champions Bayern Munich, on 14, are in action later on Sunday against Freiburg.
Leverkusen took a 22nd-minute lead after a perfect passing move across the entire pitch and with Florian Wirtz's backheel flick setting up Germany international Hofmann for his fourth goal of the campaign.
Hofmann has now scored in three Bundesliga matches in a row for the first time in his career.
After sloppy Cologne defending, Alex Grimaldo cut the ball back from the left and despite a crowded box, Frimpong was completely unmarked at the far post to stab it in 10 minutes later.
With Cologne on the backfoot throughout the game, the hosts missed several chances before Nigeria forward Boniface completed another textbook quick attack with a tap-in after 67 minutes to take his league tally to seven goals. (Reporting by Karolos Grohmann, editing by Ed Osmond)
Game Information
- Referees:
- Felix Zwayer
German Bundesliga Standings
Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bayern Munich | 15 | 11 | 3 | 1 | +34 | 36 |
Bayer Leverkusen | 15 | 9 | 5 | 1 | +16 | 32 |
Eintracht Frankfurt | 15 | 8 | 3 | 4 | +12 | 27 |
RB Leipzig | 15 | 8 | 3 | 4 | +4 | 27 |
Mainz | 15 | 7 | 4 | 4 | +8 | 25 |
Borussia Dortmund | 15 | 7 | 4 | 4 | +6 | 25 |
Werder Bremen | 15 | 7 | 4 | 4 | +1 | 25 |
Borussia Monchengladbach | 15 | 7 | 3 | 5 | +5 | 24 |
SC Freiburg | 15 | 7 | 3 | 5 | -3 | 24 |
VfB Stuttgart | 15 | 6 | 5 | 4 | +4 | 23 |
VfL Wolfsburg | 15 | 6 | 3 | 6 | +4 | 21 |
1. FC Union Berlin | 15 | 4 | 5 | 6 | -5 | 17 |
FC Augsburg | 15 | 4 | 4 | 7 | -15 | 16 |
St. Pauli | 15 | 4 | 2 | 9 | -7 | 14 |
TSG Hoffenheim | 15 | 3 | 5 | 7 | -8 | 14 |
1. FC Heidenheim 1846 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 11 | -15 | 10 |
Holstein Kiel | 15 | 2 | 2 | 11 | -19 | 8 |
VfL Bochum | 15 | 1 | 3 | 11 | -22 | 6 |