In his debut in the dugout, new coach Xabi Alonso made one change to the line-up for the 2-0 defeat at Porto with Mitchel Bakker replacing Adam Hlozek. From the kick-off, the Werkself were tactically disciplined and on the front foot, mainly through Jeremie Frimpong and Moussa Diaby on the right flank. A goal from Charles Aránguiz on ten minutes was ruled out due to a foul by Piero Hincapie in the build-up but Diaby (38’) and Frimpong (41’) gave the Werkself a deserved two-goal lead going into the break. Frimpong made it 3-0 less than ten minutes after the restart to seal the result (53'). The scoring was rounded off by substitute Paulinho with his strike at 4-0 (90'). HERE is the match report.
"That was a step in the right direction. We were clinical with our goals," said goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky after the final whistle but he then made it clear: "But there’s still room for improvement." Robert Andrich backed up the Werkself skipper: "It was an important and necessary win and a good start. We are incredibly happy. But there is still a tough road ahead of us." Other statements from Moussa Diaby and Hradecky are HERE on Werkself TV.
Xabi Alonso summed up the performance of his team in his debut for the Black and Reds as follows: "We are happy. We didn't have much time but the players have seen how we want to play. It was a complete performance - offensively and defensively. The next important match is on Wednesday against Porto and there are areas that need improving."
One of the best players on the pitch was Jeremie Frimpong who was involved in lots of one-on-one challenges on the right flank, he was full of running – and he scored two of the four Leverkusen goals against Schalke 04. It was the second brace in the current Bundesliga season for the Netherlands U21 international: Frimpong scored twice in the 3-0 win at Mainz at the end of August.
Xabi Alonso also played Paulinho in his first match in charge at Bayer 04. The Brazilian forward came on as a sub on 88 minutes against the Royal Blues and scored two minutes later to make it 4-0. For the 22-year-old, it was the first appearance since 20 August.
A look at the stats underlines the clear margin of victory: The Werkself had 60% possession plus 54% of challenges won, a pass completion rate of over 87% (Schalke: 77%) plus 13 shots on goal (Schalke: 2).
That was the headline in the BILD Zeitung for their report on the match. And it continues: "Alonso's commitment works. Leverkusen were at it from the start and they prevented the defensive Schalke team gaining possession through accurate passing." The kicker talks of a "dream debut" for the Spaniard in the Bayer 04 dugout, the Rheinische Post of a "exemplary start." The RP awarded top marks to Jeremie Frimpong and Moussa Diaby.
The Werkself entertain Porto in the return match in Group B in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday 12 October (kick-off: 21.00 CEST). The Alonso team are then away to Eintracht Frankfurt three days later. The kick-off on Saturday 15 October is at 15.30 CEST.
A simple approach to sport with games, fun and a highlight at the end: Bayer 04 organised a very special training session for 40 participants aged between six and 27 in cooperation with the Football Association of the Middle Rhine (FVM). At the day of action for women and girls with disabilities at the Kurtekotten Performance Centre, many of the participants gained their first experience of football.
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On Saturday, 28 March, the lights will go out again at the BayArena from 20:30 pm to 21:30. As in previous years, Bayer 04 once again take part in the WWF Earth Hour campaign under the motto "We're switching off" as the club wants to set a collective example for more climate and environmental protection together with people, cities and companies around the world.
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Less than a year ago, Kerim Alajbegovic moved from the Bayer 04 U19s to Austrian top-flight club FC Red Bull Salzburg. The forward’s development since then has been impressive. In 36 matches, including in the UEFA Europa League, the 18-year-old has scored 14 goals. In the summer, Alajbegovic, now a Bosnia international, will return to Leverkusen - and thus not only achieve the next milestone still early in his career, but also enrich the Werkself squad with his footballing versatility and determination.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended the contract with forward Nathan Tella ahead of schedule. The versatile 26-year-old, who can be deployed as a right winger, false nine or left winger, has penned a new contract to 30 June 2031. Tella joined the Werkself from Championship club Southampton in 2023. His previous contract ran to the summer of 2028.
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Nathan Tella has extended his contract with Bayer 04 to 2031. In an interview with Werkself TV, the 26-year-old talks about fulfilling his dreams, his positive outlook on life and his goals for the future. He answers the questions in English - all except the last one, which he addresses directly to the fans...
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