The relief was clear for all to see at the end. After the final whistle in Brasília the players in the team coached by Horst Hrubesch embraced each other and celebrated making it through to the last four. In spite of the 4-0 result it was a tough game for the Germany Olympic team against Portugal. The floodgates opened just before half-time when Serge Gnabry scored. Lars Bender won the ball with his usual determined approach, Julian Brandt picked out the Arsenal player and Gnabry netted with aplomb.
Seven assists from Brandt
And Brandt continued to shine on the right wing: Again and again he caused problems in the opposition penalty area with some accurate assists and two efforts on goal. Matthias Ginter made it 2-0 from a Brandt corner on 58 minutes. And it got even better: Davie Selke added a third on 75 minutes and Brandt again provided another assist for substitute Philipp Max to round off the scoring on 84 minutes. That was the seventh assist from the blond striker at this Olympic tournament.
Lars Bender was not on the pitch at that point. Up to 71 minutes he gave his all as the driving force in an attacking line of four in the new 4-1-4-1 system before Hrubesch granted him an early finish to his shift. Germany are next in action in the semi-final on Wednesday (18.00 CET). Nigeria or Denmark will be the opponents in Sao Paulo. Another victory would see Germany win silver at least.
Bayer 04 will have to manage without defender Guéla Doué for the time being. The Ivory Coast international sustained a muscle injury to his right calf during the final Werkself training session yesterday ahead of the Europa League clash with Slovenian champions NK Celje.
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For the first time since reaching the final against AS Roma (2–2, first leg 2–0) in May 2024, Bayer 04 are playing another home match in the UEFA Europa League – and they will be wearing their new European kit. On Wednesday 16 September (kick-off: 21:00 CEST), the BayArena will welcome Slovenian champions NK Celje, who appointed a new coach this week following a mixed start to the season. Under the slogan “40 Years Across Europe. Still Creating History.”, the Black and Reds now aim to add the next chapter to their European history, which has seen so much success in recent years. Bayer 04 fans can follow the match on free-to-air TV on RTL, as well as on Sky and Werkself Radio. The matchday news.
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European football returns to the BayArena: Bayer 04 host Slovenian champions NK Celje on matchday 1 in the group stage of the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League. Ahead of the match on Wednesday 16 September (kick-off: 21:00 CEST), head coach Carles Martínez and midfielder Aleix Garcia spoke at the pre-match press conference. The focus was primarily on the great anticipation surrounding the competition and the clear objectives for it – and, given the circumstances, on a last-minute change to the opposition line-up.
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The champions of Slovenia NK Celje are in a European competition for the fourth time in their history. This Wednesday, 16 September (kick-off: 21:00 CEST), the side lead by head coach Vitor Campelos visit the BayArena for matchday 1 in the group stage in the UEFA Europa League. Celje’s last match at the weekend did not go to plan. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Construction work continues on the ‘Haus der Talente’ on Kurtekottenweg in Leverkusen, where 36 young elite athletes will find a new home from next summer. The building team from Temmink Bau, led by Thomas Wellers, are hard at work. Over the past few days, excavators, wheeled loaders and rollers have removed 2,500 cubic metres of soil to excavate the basement.
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