Haris Seferovic put the ball into the middle on 30 minutes and the Leverkusen pro took aim. Mehmedi's shot flew into the top of the net at the far post and he was immediately mobbed by his teammates. A wonder strike that sealed a deserved win in the World Cup qualifier.
And Hakan Calhanoglu proved reliable yet again. In added time at the end of the first half in Zagreb the Turkey midfielder placed the ball, took a short run-up and fired the ball into the back of the net. Luck was on Hakan's side as is effort was deflected but the strike was enough to secure a 1-1 draw in Croatia and appoint in the opening game of World Cup Qualification Group I. Calhanoglu's Leverkusen teammate Tin Jedvaj spent 90 minutes on the subs bench for Croatia.
As both the other two matches in the group also ended all square at 1-1 there are six teams at the bottom or at the top of the group. One of these games took place in Turku in Finland where Joel Pohjanpalo lined up for his country against newcomers Kosovo. Pohjanpalo played the full 90 minutes.
Vladlen Yurchenko is still waiting for his debut after his first call-up for the senior Ukraine team due to injury. Without him in the squad Ukraine were only able to secure a 1-1 draw against Iceland, the surprise team at Euro 2016. The group will prove to be interesting given there are four Leverkusen players involved.
Julian Baumgartlinger celebrated a special debut: The 28-year-old captained Austria for the first time on Monday night and he put on an impressive display in defensive midfield alongside David Alaba. Austria ended up winning 2-1 in Georgia with new Leverkusen signing Aleksandar Dragovic also playing the full game. Goalkeeper Ramazan Özcan was on the bench.
A Werkself youngster was in action on Monday night when defender Joel Abu Hanna came off the bench on 58 minutes in the 2-1 defeat for the Germany U19's against Netherlands.
Other matches on Tuesday
Robbie Kruse was in the Australia line-up against the United Arab Emirates as the Socceroos earned a deserved 1-0 win in the World Cup qualifier. Kruse went off in the closing minutes after producing an impressive performance. Charles Aránguiz was in the Chile side as La Roja played out a 0-0 draw with Bolivia. Benny Henrichs was in the Germany U21 squad for the 1-0 win away to Finland but he did not play in the match.
Bayer 04 are again strongly represented in this year's Bundesliga Team of the Season from the games manufacturer EA Sports. Five Werkself players have been voted into the top XI for the 2024/25 season, a duo from the Bayer 04 Women's team are in the female Bundesliga TOTS. Bayer 04 were well represented last season with six male players in the top eleven, the most players from one club.
Show moreA few weeks ago Borussia Dortmund were marooned in mid-table mediocrity in the Bundesliga. Then the Black and Yellows started a run that overcame all comers. And suddenly a Champions League spot was again within reach. BVB will be looking to take the next step towards the big target at the BayArena on Sunday, 11 May (kick-off: 15:30 CEST). Coach Niko Kovac has almost his full squad available. The lowdown on our next opponents.
Show moreIn the long and renowned career of Jupp Heynckes his two years at Leverkusen fill a short chapter. Nevertheless, his work under the Bayer Cross between 2009 and 2011 left its mark. The former world class striker and coach with a worldwide reputation was also very successful here and he led the Werkself to the runners-up spot in the Bundesliga and he made a lasting impression on many people at the club. Jupp Heynckes today celebrates his 80th birthday. Many happy returns from Bayer 04 as we look back at two great years.
Show moreA cracker of a semi-final at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. The Bayer 04 U19 team entertain Bayern Munich on Saturday, 10 May (kick-off: 11:00 CEST/stadium opens: 10:00 CEST). In front of a home crowd, the team led by head coach Sergi Runge, who welcomes back an attacking player, is looking to build on the battling performances from the previous knockout games and "perform at the right moment." Tickets are available from the Bayer 04 online shop and the game will also be broadcast live on Sky.
Show more