For the 69th time Cologne and Leverkusen meet in a competitive game, the statistics speak for Bayer. But there were always explosive derbies with a total of 20 dismissals - ten for each team.

Cologne (dpa / lnw) - 1. FC Köln welcomes Bayer Leverkusen to the Rhein derby on Wednesday (6.30 p.m. / Sky). The Cologne team want to stop the downward trend after three league games without a win and the end of the Conference League, while Bayer's form curve under coach Xabi Alonso recently showed an upward trend. Leverkusen also get a tailwind from the 5-0 win last Sunday against Union Berlin, which had been leading the Bundesliga table up to that point. However, Alonso has not scored a point away from home since taking office at the beginning of October - and Cologne have only lost one home game at home this season.