The match began with a minute’s silence due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The two teams also wore black armbands and Bayer 04 amended their matchday events. That included no carnival music being played. With five changes to the starting line-up compared with the 3-2 defeat at FSV Mainz 05, the Werkself took charge of proceedings straight away. One or two chances went begging before Lucas Alario - up front in place of the injured Patrik Schick - broke the deadlock (30’). The visitors upped their game but the Black and Reds deservedly took a 1-0 lead into half-time. The second half brought a double chance for the Werkself: A Bielefeld player first blocked a volley from Jonathan Tah from ten yards out (56’); but the ball was in the back of the net 60 seconds later. Moussa Diaby moved upfield with the ball, played a one-two with Florian Wirtz and then converted to make it 2-0 (57’). And it was the France international who sealed the win at 3-0 with his second strike of the game late on (81’). HERE is the match report.
“Finally another clean sheet,” said goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky happy about the first win without reply in 98 days. The Werkself skipper added: “We wanted to put the defeat against Mainz behind us – and we did that. I’m very happy with our performance today.” Head coach Gerardo Seoane praised his team for their overall display: “Congratulations to my team for a good performance. We succeeded in achieving a good mix of possession and dangerous moves from the start. And we were very focused in defending against Bielefeld transition play.”
Moussa Diaby has been riding high for weeks: It was goal numbers six and seven in the last five games for the 22-year-old. No other Werkself player has scored as often as the France international since matchday 20. He has now netted twelve times in the current campaign. Head coach Gerardo Seoane on his winger: “Moussa is much more focused on his work at the moment, is not picking up yellow cards compared with the first half of the season and he is more disciplined in his defensive game.”
The numbers back up the result. The Werkself had 72 per cent possession plus 59 per cent of challenges won and a pass completion rate of over 90 per cent (Bielefeld: 77). The Black and Reds were also on top in shots on goal with 21 to 9. This year it is running like clockwork at home: The 1-1 draw with Union Berlin was followed by three wins for Jonathan Tah and Co. - with a total of twelve goals scored.
The Welt am Sonntag headline reads “Ready for Europa” and the report continues: “Bayer win convincingly, consolidate third spot and Champions League qualification is in their sights.” And the Rheinische Post reports a deserved win for Bayer: “Leverkusen primarily impressed against Bielefeld with individual class. At the end of the day, a deserved 3-0 home win and the first clean sheet for the Werkself since November.”
The Werkself are away to the league leaders on matchday 25. Bayern Munich entertain head coach Gerardo Seoane’s team on Saturday 5 March. The clash between first and third kicks off at 15.30 CET.
After six and a half years, Exequiel Palacios is leaving the Bundesliga and moving from Bayer 04 to the Premier League. The Argentine, who as a Werkself player won the World Cup with his national team four years ago and finished as runners-up at this summer’s tournament, will play for newly promoted English side Ipswich Town with immediate effect. The 27-year-old, whose contract in Leverkusen was due to run until 30 June 2030, joined Bayer 04 in January 2020 as a promising young talent. He steadily developed into one of the best defensive midfielders in the German top flight.
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When Exequiel Palacios moved from the Argentinian club River Plate to Bayer Leverkusen on 1 January 2020, the then 21-year-old could not have imagined just how successful the next six and a half years would be for him. Pala, as he is known, had already won the Copa Libertadores – the most prestigious competition in South American club football – with River Plate. But there were still so many more trophies to come.
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To mark Exequiel Palacios’s departure, we’ve put together a compilation of the midfielder’s finest and most important goals from his six-and-a-half years at the club.
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Newly promoted SV 07 Elversberg will begin the 2026/27 season as Bundesliga club number 59. The Saarland club start their first Bundesliga campaign at home to the Werkself on Saturday, 29 August (kick-off 15:30 CEST) at the URSAPHARM Arena on Kaiserlinde, which is currently being rebuilt. For one Leverkusen player in the ‘Elv’ line-up, the clash will be a special reunion. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Ernest Poku is leaving Bayer 04 Leverkusen to play in the Turkish Süper Lig. The club has loaned the Dutch winger to Beşiktaş for one year. If certain criteria are met, the Istanbul club – who finished fourth in the Turkish top flight last season – will be obliged to make the move permanent.
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