Dominic Maroh was the man that decided the Rhine derby between Leverkusen and Köln on Saturday afternoon, with the defender netting an unlikely brace either side of another Javier Hernandez goal.
First half ends all square
The opening goal came early on, with Maroh finishing at the far post. Marcel Risse whipped in a wicked delivery from the left flank towards the penalty spot. Kyriakos Papadopoulos flicked the ball towards the back of the box and the Slovenian defender was on hand to confidently volley home.
It didn't take too long for Leverkusen to level, however, with Hernandez grabbing the goal to restore parity. Kevin Kampl drove forward with the ball before shifting it wide to Admir Mehmedi. The Swiss attacker crossed into the area and found his team-mate, the Little Pea, arriving into the box and he headed powerfully into the ground and past the helpless Timo Horn.
Maroh wins it late on
The game seemed to hinge on an incident at the start of the second half. Anthony Modeste was set through on goal and hauled down by Papadopoulos, who was having a rotten day. Felix Zwayer had no hesitation to brandish a red card, only making it more difficult for Roger Schmidt's side despite them being on top.
While it looked like the hosts would mount a late push for a winner, it was the Billy Goats who would have the last laugh. Another Risse cross and another Maroh goal decided the game. This time the right-back put in an excellent cross towards the centre of the box and Maroh rose highest to bullet a header into the far corner and shock the home crowd.
The visitors held on to secure all three points and continue their excellent start to the season. They rise above their rivals by a single point, and are a mere win from third place Wolfsburg. Leverkusen's topsy-turvy term seems unlikely to end any time soon, as they struggle to add any sort of consistency to their campaign.