
As in the first group game against Portugal, Chicharito was in the starting eleven against Russia in Kazan. The record scorer was the lynch pin of his team for the full 90 minutes. Although he didn’t score, he did create a number of chances and could have made it 3-1 with a header. The match was a close-fought affair with Mexico maintaining the upper hand and they were not put off course when Russia opened the scoring.
Mexico moved above Russia to finish second behind European Champions Portugal and thereby progress to the semi-finals where they will meet the other group winner in Sochi on Wednesday. That could be Germany if they beat Cameroon in the final group match in Sochi on Sunday.
The Germany U21s were in action in Poland. Although they lost 1-0 to Italy in Krakow that result was enough to take Germany through to the U21 European Championship semi-finals. Dominik Kohr, who returns to the Werkself for the start of next season, did not play.
Four Leverkusen players are involved in matches on Sunday:
Bernd Leno, Benjamin Henrichs and Julian Brandt are in the Germany squad for final group match in the Confederations Cup against Cameroon at 17:00 CET. Charles Aránguiz and Chile face Asian champions Australia at the same time. Both games are live on TV.

A simple approach to sport with games, fun and a highlight at the end: Bayer 04 organised a very special training session for 40 participants aged between six and 27 in cooperation with the Football Association of the Middle Rhine (FVM). At the day of action for women and girls with disabilities at the Kurtekotten Performance Centre, many of the participants gained their first experience of football.
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On Saturday, 28 March, the lights will go out again at the BayArena from 20:30 pm to 21:30. As in previous years, Bayer 04 once again take part in the WWF Earth Hour campaign under the motto "We're switching off" as the club wants to set a collective example for more climate and environmental protection together with people, cities and companies around the world.
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Less than a year ago, Kerim Alajbegovic moved from the Bayer 04 U19s to Austrian top-flight club FC Red Bull Salzburg. The forward’s development since then has been impressive. In 36 matches, including in the UEFA Europa League, the 18-year-old has scored 14 goals. In the summer, Alajbegovic, now a Bosnia international, will return to Leverkusen - and thus not only achieve the next milestone still early in his career, but also enrich the Werkself squad with his footballing versatility and determination.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended the contract with forward Nathan Tella ahead of schedule. The versatile 26-year-old, who can be deployed as a right winger, false nine or left winger, has penned a new contract to 30 June 2031. Tella joined the Werkself from Championship club Southampton in 2023. His previous contract ran to the summer of 2028.
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Nathan Tella has extended his contract with Bayer 04 to 2031. In an interview with Werkself TV, the 26-year-old talks about fulfilling his dreams, his positive outlook on life and his goals for the future. He answers the questions in English - all except the last one, which he addresses directly to the fans...
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