Modeste Double Earns Cologne Derby Draw With Leverkusen

Berlin, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Oct, 2021 ) :French veteran Anthony Modeste scored two unanswered second-half goals on Sunday as hosts Cologne fought back to draw 2-2 at home to Bayer Leverkusen in the Rhineland derby.

The home side were on the ropes at their Rhein Energie Stadium as goals by Patrik Schick and Karim Bellarabi saw Leverkusen race into a 2-0 lead after just 17 minutes.

Leverkusen had won the three previous meetings between the sides, but Cologne pulled a goal back when 33-year-old Modeste fired home unmarked with 62 minutes gone.

Modeste then equalised with a header eight minutes from time to gain a share the points.

"Many had already written us off. We turned the game around," Modeste told DAZN.

"That is our strength this season, that was a strong second half from us." The result left Leverkusen fourth in the table, five points behind leaders Bayern Munich, who ran riot in a 4-0 home win over Hoffenheim on Saturday.

"When you go from 2-0 up to draw 2-2, then it feels like a defeat," said Leverkusen captain, goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky.

"We lost our heads in the second-half and Cologne deservedly came back, but it's still annoying." Cologne are eighth after bouncing back from last weekend's 5-0 hammering at Hoffenheim.

- Stuttgart grab late equaliser - Later, ten-man Stuttgart pinched a point at home to Union Berlin as Danish teenage substitute Wahid Faghir scored in stoppage time to seal a 1-1 draw.

Union were cruising to a win which would have put them fourth when Faghir held off several defenders to fire in an equaliser in the 93rd minute.

His shot deflected off Union's former Stuttgart defender Timo Baumgartl and wrong-footed visiting goalkeeper Andreas Luthe.

It was heartbreaking for Union, who had dominated with Nigeria striker Taiwo Awoniyi scoring his sixth goal in his last five games.

The former Liverpool striker, who spent 2020/21 on loan in Berlin before transferring permanently to Union in the summer, has now bagged 11 goals this season in 15 matches in all competitions.

With half an hour played, the 24-year-old put Union ahead from the edge of the area by converting Sheraldo Becker's pass after a long spell of pressure.

Stuttgart were a man down for the last 33 minutes after defender Atakan Karazor was sent off for two yellow cards for fouls within 35 seconds.

Yet Stuttgart equalised with a lucky punch when 18-year-old Faghir bagged his first Bundesliga goal on only his second league appearance.

The result leaves Union fifth and Stuttgart 13th in the table.