The match-winner was beaming after the final whistle unburdened of any stress and strain. “I’m really happy we did it. We’re all relieved and we’re over the moon,” said Benjamin Henrichs after his cool conversion of the winning spot-kick in the penalty shootout with Holland secured fifth spot at the U19 European Championships. Seconds after finding the back of the net he was submerged in a celebrating huddle with his deliriously happy team-mates.
The 5-4 win in the penalty shootout, following a a hard-fought 3-3 draw over 120 minutes, was enough to seal fifth place for Germany in the Euros on home soil – and qualification for next year’s U20 World Cup in South Korea. It was a roller coaster ride for the hosts with plenty of ups and downs: 1-0 ahead, 2-1 behind within minutes and an almost completely unexpected equaliser in the third minute of added time to take the game to extra time. Then 3-2 before the blow of an equaliser to level the scores at 3-3 – and to round it off a thunderous shot against the bar in the final minutes of extra time from Benny Henrichs. The lottery of penalties followed with Amara Conde failing to score for the Germany U19s. The game was in the hands of the Dutch side but they hit the bar before Henrichs slotted the winning penalty into the back of the net.
It was a thrilling encounter in front of 8,600 enthusiastic fans in Sandhausen. Germany were clearly the better side before the Dutch hit back out of the blue in the closing stages. Henrichs produced an outstanding display in defensive midfield and everything the impressive Werkself pro did seemed to come off. Bayer 04 central defender Lukas Boeder did not get in in Germany’s final match of the tournament.
Kicking off the new season with a fresh look: Bayer 04, in collaboration with sportswear manufacturer New Balance, has unveiled the official kit for Leverkusen’s e-Sports players for the coming season. The jersey is now available from the Bayer 04 online shop and the Fanwelt.
Show more
Paulo Sergio and Bayer 04 have enjoyed close ties since the Werkself training camp in his native Brazil last summer. The club legend is in charge of the Bayer 04 Soccer Academy, which opened in the summer of 2025, and he has also been at this year’s training camp in the Weimarer Land. As well as interacting with the many fans who travelled to the camp, the 1994 World Cup winner used the time to plan the next steps for the Academy together with club officials. In an interview with bayer04.de, Sergio spoke about the project’s future development, the upcoming visit by young Academy players to Leverkusen, and plans for the coming months in Germany and Brazil.
Show more
A round-up of the Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land, all in one place: in our daily blog you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day five (Thursday 6 August) is as follows: The squad have the final open session of the training camp in the morning. After lunch, there will be a team event.
Show more
A round-up of the Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land, all in one place: in our daily blog you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day four (Wednesday 5 August) is all about training. The day begins with a gruelling open training session – new signing Miguel Gutiérrez also takes part. A second session follows in the afternoon, this time behind closed doors.
Show more
From Real Madrid to Girona and Napoli, and now to Leverkusen: Left-back Miguel Gutiérrez has signed a contract with Bayer 04 to 2031. In his first interview, the 25-year-old Spaniard talks about his welcome at the training camp and his first encounters with his team-mates, his time at the academy alongside Lucas Vázquez at Real Madrid, and his goals with Bayer 04. He also reveals in an interview with Werkself-TV what sort of player he is and how he intends to help the team...
Show more
