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Stuttgart forward Wahid Faghir celebrates scoring their late equaliser
French veteran Anthony Modeste scored two unanswered second-half goals on Sunday as hosts Cologne fought back to draw 2-2 at home to Bayer Leverkusen in the Rhineland derby.
The home side were on the ropes at their Rhein Energie Stadium as Leverkusen raced into a 2-0 lead after 17 minutes through goals by Patrik Schick and Karim Bellarabi.
Cologne pulled a goal back when 33-year-old Modeste fired home unmarked with 62 minutes gone.
Modeste then equalised with a header eight minutes from time to gain a share the points.
"Many had already written us off. We turned the game around," Modeste told DAZN.
"That is our strength this season, that was a strong second half from us."
The result left Leverkusen fourth in the table, five points behind leaders Bayern Munich, who beat Hoffenheim 4-0 at home on Saturday.
"When you go from 2-0 up to draw 2-2, then it feels like a defeat," said Leverkusen captain, goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky.
"We lost our heads in the second half and Cologne deservedly came back, but it's still annoying."
Cologne are eighth after bouncing back from last weekend's 5-0 hammering at Hoffenheim.
Later, ten-man Stuttgart pinched a point at home to Union Berlin as Danish teenage substitute Wahid Faghir netted his first league goal in Germany in stoppage time to seal a 1-1 draw.
"It's awesome to score my first Bundesliga goal in front of our fans," Faghir, who was born in Denmark to Afghan parents, told DAZN.
Union were cruising to a win which would have put them fourth when Faghir held off several defenders to equalise in the 93rd minute.
His shot deflected off Union's former Stuttgart defender Timo Baumgartl and wrong-footed visiting goalkeeper Andreas Luthe.
"It feels like a defeat," admitted Baumgartl. "We played well and only allowed them two chances."
It was heartbreaking for Union, who had dominated with Nigeria striker Taiwo Awoniyi scoring his sixth goal in his last five games.
The former Liverpool striker, who spent 2020/21 on loan in Berlin before transferring permanently to Union in the summer, has now bagged 11 goals this season in 15 matches in all competitions.
With half an hour played, the 24-year-old put Union ahead from the edge of the area by converting Sheraldo Becker's pass after a long spell of pressure.
Stuttgart were a man down for the last 33 minutes after defender Atakan Karazor was sent off for two yellow cards for fouls within 35 seconds.
Yet Stuttgart equalised with a lucky punch when Faghir bagged a first Bundesliga goal on his second league appearance.
The result leaves Union fifth and Stuttgart 13th in the table.
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