Leverkusen, Germany - Bayer Leverkusen jumped to the top of the Bundesliga standings with a 2-0 victory Friday night over local rivals Cologne.
A pair of second-half goals secured the outcome to put Leverkusen on 18 points to start the Bundesliga's ninth round of games, which continue Saturday and Sunday.
Leverkusen leapfrogged over SV Hamburg on 17 points and Hoffenheim at 16. But the Rhineland side is guaranteed to lose sole possession of first place on Sunday, when Hamburg and Hoffenheim meet, assuring the winner of the undisputed top rung, or giving a share of the top spot to Hamburg in the event of a draw.
After a scoreless first half, Leverkusen's Manuel Friedrich found the net in the 68th minute, and Teofanis Gekas sealed the victory with a penalty shot in the 84th minute.
For Cologne, the loss snapped a three-match winning streak. Cologne coach Christoph Daum, the former Leverkusen boss, was forced to leave the pitch with no points on his 55th birthday, against his former club, no less.
Cologne remains in a five-way tie for fifth place at 13 points but could find itself pushed into the bottom half of the table if traditional Bundesliga powers Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich, languishing in a tie for 10th place on 12 points, both win on Sunday. dpa
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