The home game for Austria, with the Leverkusen defensive stalwart Aleksandar Dragovic playing the full 90 minutes, started with a surprising setback for the team under coach Franco Foda: Sonni Nattestad put the Faroe Islands, ranked 107th in the world, in the lead on 19 minutes. Dragovic equalised on the half-hour mark – and then Austria got going.
The Bundesliga players Christoph Baumgartner (30’/TSG Hoffenheim) and Sasa Kalajdzic (44’/VfB Stuttgart) scored the other goals to give Austria a 3-1 lead at half-time. The scoreline remained the same at the final whistle at the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna. That was the first win for Drago and Co. following the 2-2 draw against Scotland.
Germany followed up on their 3-0 opening victory against Iceland. The team led by coach Joachim Löw beat Romania 1-0 in Bucharest. The only goal of the game was scored by Bayern Munich's Serge Gnabry with former Leverkusen player Kai Havertz providing the assist (17'). As in the match against Iceland, the Werkself players Jonathan Tah and Florian Wirtz did not play.
The Germany U21 team played their second group match in the European Championship on Saturday night. The team led by coach Stefan Kuntz drew 1-1 with Holland in Székesfehérvár in Hungary. After a first half without any clear-cut chances, the Dutch took the lead on 48 minutes through Justin Kluivert. The opening goal from the RB Leipzig player stemmed from a mistake by the Germany keeper Finn Dahmen (FSV Mainz 05). Lukas Nmecha of RSC Anderlecht levelled the scores late on (84').
The Bayer 04 keeper Lennart Grill was again on the bench as in the 3-0 victory against Hungary. Romania are the opponents for Germany in the final group match game in the European Championship on Tuesday, 30 March (kick-off: 18.00 CEST). The Kuntz team are currently top of Group A on four points level with Romania. A draw will be enough for Germany to progress to the knockout stages to be played from 31 May to 6 June. This involves the first and second placed teams from the four groups.
The new week starts from a Black and Red perspective on Monday night, 29 March (kick-off: 18.00 CEST) with a match involving Edmond Tapsoba. The Werkself central defender and Burkina Faso play South Sudan in Group B of the Africa Cup qualifiers. Tapsoba's team have already qualified for the finals of the competition with a goalless draw in Uganda.
Patrik Schick is set to play for Czechia a day later in a World Cup qualifier in Wales (kick-off: 20.45 CEST) a few hours after the U21 group match for Germany against Romania. To end the first international break of the year, the Germany senior team with Jonathan Tah and Florian Wirtz plus Austria with Aleksandar Dragovic are in line to play on Wednesday, 31 March. The kick-off of the two World Cup qualifiers is at 20.45 CEST. The remaining internationals involving Werkself players:
Jonathan Tah and Florian Wirtz (Germany):
Wednesday, 31 March (20.45 CEST, Duisburg): Germany v North Macedonia (World Cup qualifier, Group J)
Lennart Grill (Germany U21):
Tuesday, 30 March (18.00 CEST, Budapest): Germany U21 v Romania U21 (Euros, group stage)
Aleksandar Dragovic (Austria):
Wednesday, 31 March (20.45 CEST, Vienna): Austria v Denmark (World Cup qualifier, Group F)
Patrik Schick (Czechia):
Tuesday, 30 March (20.45 CEST, Cardiff): Wales v Czechia (World Cup qualifier, Group)
Edmond Tapsoba (Burkina Faso):
Monday, 29 March (18.00 CET, Ouagadougou): Burkina Faso v South Sudan (Africa Cup qualifier, Group B)
A special afternoon at the Bayer 04 Football Academy autumn camp: At the Liga 20 indoor football centre, in the shadow of the BayArena, two Werkself women’s team players led a training session. Loreen Bender and Selina Ostermeier not only offered the young players advice and support, but also got stuck in themselves.
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The Werkself have reached at least the semi-finals of the DFB Pokal in each of the last three years. The Black-and-Reds would like to make it to the final four of the competition again this season, but to do that they'll need to overcome 1. FC Nürnberg in round two, who travel to the BayArena with momentum following a successful league campaign so far. However, Bayer have a 100 percent record at home in all competitions this season - and have also won six of their last seven home matches in the Pokal. The Matchday News.
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Back at home in the second round of the 2026/27 DFB Pokal, Bayer 04 host FC Nürnberg at the BayArena. The match against the current second-placed side in Bundesliga 2 is on Wednesday 28 October at 20:45 CET. Ahead of the game, head coach Carles Martínez spoke, amongst other things, about his anticipation of the clash in front of a home crowd. The Spaniard also commented on a number of personnel matters, including Ibrahim Maza and Montrell Culbreath, plus the visitors’ coach, Miroslav Klose.
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Now in their third season under head coach Miroslav Klose, FC Nürnberg are among the promotion contenders in Bundesliga 2. On Wednesday 28 October (kick-off: 20:45 CET), the team currently second in the table are away to Bayer 04 in the second round of the DFB Pokal. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Werkself player Ibrahim Maza has been named in the top ten in the ‘Men’s Young Talent of the Year’ category for 2026. The 20-year-old was at the London Palladium on Monday evening for the 2026 Ballon d’Or awards ceremony. Fernando Carro, Bayer 04 CEO, also attended the ceremony. Lamine Yamal of Barcelona was named the winner in the ‘Men’s Young Talent of the Year’ category.
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