Electric 100th Rhine derby serves up a Bundesliga classic destined for the history books

Mar 22, 2026 - 01:30

With both Cologne and Gladbach struggling at the bottom end of the table, the sides could have been forgiven had the 100th Rhine derby been a cagey, tense affair short on excitement and high in anxiety.

However, with both sides desperate for a pressure-relieving three points rather than taking home one each, we got the exact opposite.

Jens Castrop and Saïd El Mala both scored against their former clubs within the opening five minutes to get derby day off to an electric start. A long way from their academy days at the sides who were now their opponents in the fight for Bundesliga survival, both El Mala and Castrop proved they were more than capable of getting their sides out of trouble and performing under pressure.

Watch: Cologne 3-3 Borussia M'gladbach