Derbys victories always feel good

In a derby that was more explosive than an average episode of "Game of Thrones", Bayer 04 impressively proved on matchday 24 of the Bundesliga that they are well on their way to stepping out of the shadow of the eternal runners-up. With a commanding 2:0 away win against 1. FC Köln, the Werkself kept their championship dreams alive and continued their impressive run of 34 unbeaten competitive matches. The goals from Jeremie Frimpong and Alejandro Grimaldo were the cherries on Leverkusen's cake, while Cologne's Jan Thielmann will probably have to chalk it up to a sour apple after he was shown a red card in the 13th minute.

Even before kick-off, it was clear that head coach Xabi Alonso was taking the derby seriously. With three fresh faces in the starting eleven - Josip Stanisic, Piero Hincapie and Patrik Schick - he sent out a clear signal: this is a team that wants to win. And that's how Bayer 04 started the game. Cheered on by 5,000 fans, they dominated the action from the start, even if the final pass was a long time coming.

The sending off of Thielmann seemed to seal Cologne's fate early on, but the cathedral city side refused to give in and defended tooth and nail. Nevertheless, Leverkusen found ways to break through the Cologne defense and were rewarded with two beautifully executed goals.

While Cologne now have to focus on the relegation battle with a heavy heart, Bayer 04 can already chill the champagne. A ten-point lead over FC Bayern Munich with ten games to go - that smells a lot like a championship party, which is probably decades overdue in Leverkusen.

But before the corks pop, the first leg of the round of 16 in the UEFA Europa League against Qarabag Agdam awaits. A trip to Baku that Bayer 04 sees as the next step on the road to national and international honors. And who knows, maybe this victory in Cologne will be the spark that ignites a historic season.

Leverkusen are dreaming big, and after this derby win, even their wildest dreams suddenly seem within reach. But as the saying goes in soccer: the final score will be settled at the end. Until then, everyone at the BayArena is enjoying the view from the very top - with a broad grin and the firm belief that this dream could become reality.