He knows where the opposition goal is. Lucas Alario has impressively demonstrated his qualities as a striker in the previous matches in the second half of the season: The 29-year-old has scored in two of the last four Bundesliga matches after coming on as a substitute. Gerardo Seoane has great confidence in the Werkself number 13 who found the back of the net eleven times in the 2020/21 season to become the top goalscorer for the club last term: "I'm convinced Lucas will get his goals in the coming weeks and help the team," said the Swiss coach at the start of the build-up to the home game against Arminia Bielefeld.
Alario justifies that confidence through hard work day after day – also in addition to full training. The nine-time Argentina international was again the last player on the training ground on Monday afternoon as he completed an extra shift after the session with his teammates.
That mostly pays off. The personal stats of the Argentinian are worth a look. Since his move to the Rhineland in 2017, Alario has clocked up 54 goals and 16 assists in 151 appearances for Leverkusen. He has been on the pitch for 7,649 minutes – that means he scores a goal every 141 minutes on average.
Other plus points for the South American: Despite less minutes on the pitch in the Bundesliga this season (252), he has never let his head drop in training sessions or after coming off the bench and he has always given everything for the success of the team as Seoane never tires of emphasising. "Lucas completely understands that Patrik has had more time on the pitch recently," said the 43-year-old who also declared: "Patrik's run of form has not affected our relationship with Lucas and our confidence in him in any way."
Another option for the Werkself attack is new signing Sardar Azmoun. The Iran international moved under the Bayer Cross in the winter transfer window from the top Russian club Zenit St Petersburg. The 27-year-old is still waiting for his first game for the Black and Reds due to an injury and a Covid-19 infection.
The infection recently put him back a few days on his way to making his debut for Bayer 04. After some relaxed sessions at the weekend, Azmoun is gradually building up his training regime and intensity. "He will most probably take part in sections of full training in the middle or at the end of the week," said Seoane. A possible first inclusion in the squad for the home game against Arminia Bielefeld on Saturday 26 February (kick-off: 15.30 CET) has not been completely ruled out.
The personnel options in the Werkself attack remain of high quality even after the loss of Patrik Schick. The Black and Red goal machine (60 goals in 23 games) will continue to function…
Tickets for the first two Bayer 04 women’s team home games are now on general sale. A week after their league opener away at RB Leipzig, Roberto Pätzold’s side will face last season’s runners-up, VfL Wolfsburg, in the first home fixture on Sunday 30 August (kick-off: 16:00 CEST). Fifteen days later, on Monday night, 14 September (kick-off: 18:00 CEST), the Leverkusen Women host German champions Bayern Munich at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium for a top-of-the-table league clash. You can now also select specific seats via the online shop. The latest information on match ticket sales.
Show more
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended midfielder Noah Mbamba’s contract by twelve months and sent the Belgian U21 international on loan to France. At FC Lorient, the 21-year-old – whose contract at Leverkusen now runs to 30 June 2029 – is set to gain playing time in Ligue 1 and, through strong performances and further development, put himself in the running for a future place in the Werkself squad.
Show more
Spurred on by a flawless hat-trick from Cornelia Kramer, the Bayer 04 women’s team won their penultimate pre-season friendly in commanding fashion. As part of the season launch, the Werkself beat Dutch top-flight side Feyenoord 7–0. In front of 3,000 spectators at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium, Kramer (6’, 25’, 45’), Sofie Zdebel (47’), Maja Sternad (59'), Natasha Kowalski (83') and Vanessa Fudalla (86') scored the goals for coach Roberto Pätzold’s side.
Show more
The Shareholders’ Committee of Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH has extended the contracts of the two managing directors, Fernando Carro and Simon Rolfes, ahead of schedule. The CEO, Fernando Carro (62), will continue in his role until 30 June 2029, and managing director sport Simon Rolfes (44) will remain in post until 30 June 2031.
Show more
