Back
28.03.2021Bayer 04

World Cup qualifiers: Drago's goal puts Austria on road to victory

The first week of the current international break ends positively from a Black and Red perspective. Austria beat the Faroe Islands 3-1 in the World Cup qualifier on Sunday evening, the Werkself player Aleksandar Dragovic scored the equaliser at 1-1, and Germany also picked up three points in Group J with a 1-0 victory over Romania.
imago1001633202h.jpg

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 beat Romania

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.

crop_imago1001712850h.jpg

Germany U21s: Draw against Holland

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.

Germany and Austria End international break

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)

Related News

Ezequiel Fernández und Ibrahim Maza gehen beherzt rein
Bundesliga - 13.09.2026

Werkself review: ‘We played better than the result suggests’

30 shots on goal, 14 corners, 63 per cent possession: Bayer 04 clearly had the upper hand in their clash with league leaders FC Augsburg, but squandered the chance of a second win in three games due to a few minutes after the restart, “when we stopped playing football”, as managing director sport Simon Rolfes said after the game. The Werkself review of the 2–2 draw at FC Augsburg.

Show more
Stimmen mit Tapsoba und Kofane | Bundesliga, 3. Spieltag
Werkself-TV - 12.09.2026

Kofane: 'We kept pushing but it was not enough to win'

After the 2-2 draw at FC Augsburg on Matchday 3 of the 2026/27 Bundesliga season, Edmond Tapsoba and Christian Kofane spoke to Werkself-TV...

Show more
Werkself secure late point in Augsburg | 3rd matchday
Werkself-TV - 12.09.2026

TV highlights of 2-2 draw at FC Augsburg

Werkself TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04's 2-2 draw at FC Augsburg on Matchday 3 of the 2026/27 Bundesliga season...

Show more
Ezequiel Fernández in Augsburg
Bundesliga - 12.09.2026

2-2 at Augsburg – Werkself secure late point

Bayer 04 earned a 2-2 draw at FC Augsburg on Bundesliga Matchday 3 with a late equaliser. The Werkself led at half-time through Christian Kofane's strike but the hosts, who went in the game as league leaders, turned it around with a quickfire double from Michael Gregoritsch after the break. The Black-and-Reds didn't give up, though, and salvaged a point thanks to substitute Patrik Schick's flick in the 89th minute.

Show more
20241214_JS1_4760.jpg
Bundesliga - 12.09.2026

Matchday news: Continue improving form against Augsburg record starters

After the first win of the season against 1. FC Union Berlin (4-0) last weekend, the Werkself are aiming to collect another three points at FC Augsburg on Saturday 12 September (kick-off 15:30 CEST). The hosts, meanwhile, are enjoying their best-ever start to a Bundesliga campaign and go into Matchday 3 top of the table for the first time. The Matchday News.

Show more