Although his international appearances for Spain have been fleeting since leaving Girona, Aleix Garcia continues to perform as an indispensable midfield anchor in Germany. Leverkusen dictated the tempo entirely through his boots once again, while Miguel Gutierrez also featured and Lucas Vazquez remained on the bench.

The Ulldecona native was responsible for opening the scoring after seven minutes courtesy of an unstoppable free-kick that gave Schwabe no chance. It was his first goal of the campaign, although he has already registered five assists in just 15 games so far this season.

In the closing stages, having dominated and created ample opportunities, Leverkusen finally found their cushion through Patrik Schick. His 85th-minute strike proved decisive, as Malek El Mala set up his brother Said El Mala in the 92nd minute to set up a tense finish, but it arrived too late to rescue Koln.