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4.10.2017Bayer 04

Werkself friendly against Fortuna Köln on Thursday

The Bundesliga has three international breaks in the first half of the season and the Werkself have used each window to play friendlies. Following the match against VfL Bochum at the end of August, Bayer 04 entertain local third division club Fortuna Köln on Thursday. The match at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium kicks off at 15.00 CET and entrance is free of charge. Bayer 04 TV will broadcast the game live on bayer04.de and Facebook.
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As with Bochum, Fortuna Köln are familiar opponents for Bayer 04 in friendly matches. The last time the two teams met was in November last year with Leverkusen winning 1-0 at the Haberland Stadium. The goalscorer was Kai Havertz who, five days earlier, had become the youngest ever player to make his debut for the Werkself in the Bundesliga match against Darmstadt 98. Back then, Bayer 04 played Fortuna without 15 internationals and this time it will be nine – plus the two U19 players Sam Schreck and Atakan Akkaynak. The injured Charles Aránguiz (Chile) and Tin Jedvaj (Croatia) are unable to play for their countries this time round.

Head coach Heiko Herrlich will again use the opportunity against Köln to give time on the pitch to players in his squad who have not appeared much recently  –  such as goalkeeper Rambo Özcan, Stefan Kießling, André Ramalho, Vladlen Yurchenko and Marlon Frey. Fortuna Köln have had an excellent start to their third division campaign and are currently third in the table behind Paderborn and Magdeburg after eleven games. The team coached by Uwe Koschinat have only lost one game and they secured a 3-1 victory in their last match at Großaspach.

Bayer 04 have arranged another friendly for the third international window of the season against MSV Duisburg on 9 November.

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