The blonde forward was up and down the wings for 73 minutes before making way for Kai Havertz. On 48 minutes, the Pinneberg-born player, signed from the FC St Pauli youth team in 2016 (50 U19 appearances, 14 goals) plus two recent U 20 international caps for Germany (one goal), had the first chance in the second half but his shot from a tight angle landed just the wrong side of the post. "Sam had a very decent performance," praised Heiko Herrlich after the youngster's first appearance.
And the meeting with Ludogorets was also special for two other players: Ramazan 'Rambo' Özcan was in goal in a Europa League match for the first time. For that reason, the 34-year-old Austrian secured the match ball after the final whistle. Lars Bender (introduced on 63 minutes) made his 50th appearance on the European stage last night – 28 games in the Champions League and 22 in the Europa League. The Werkself skipper has worn the Bayer 04 shirt in all his European matches.
There was a tragic conclusion to the first game of the season for Panagiotis Retsos. The 20-year-old, who suffered a broken hand and a torn right thigh ligament in the pre-season, made his comeback against Ludogorets. Unfortunately, the central defender suffered an injury in a challenge on the half-hour mark and he had to go off with a suspected muscle injury – the exact extent of the injury will be revealed with an MRI scan today.
Werkself-TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04 Women's 2-1 win at SC Freiburg on Matchday 5 of the 2026/27 Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga.
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Calling Bayer 04 families – this matchday is all yours! As part of the Family Matchday on Sunday 20 September, not only will the Werkself take on RB Leipzig at 15:30 CEST but there will also be a variety of activity zones for young and old alike be set up around the BayArena. What’s more, genuine Bayer 04 rarities await Black and Red fans at the Fantrödel flea market. By taking part in the fan travel survey, Leverkusen supporters can help the club gather important information and even win a jersey before the Werkself hit the ground running against Leipzig on the pitch. The matchday news for RB Leipzig game.
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It has been a mixed start to the season for RB Leipzig. The team from Saxony have a flawless record at home but are less successful on the road to date. RBL are looking to change that in their away fixture at the BayArena on Sunday, 20 September (kick-off: 15:30 CEST). However, head coach Martin Demichelis will have to manage without a number of key players. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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With a flawless away record under their belts, the Bayer 04 women’s team travel to SC Freiburg. On Sunday 20 September (16:00 CEST), coach Roberto Pätzold’s side will be aiming for three points again, six days after their narrow defeat to Bayern Munich. The Werkself have emerged victorious from both of their away fixtures so far this season.
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