The Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger divides their report on the 2-1 home win against Schalke 04 into categories including one entitled 'That was good': "The efforts of the new Leverkusen coaching staff to be more compact and adopt a more defensive approach to the game were modestly and industriously implemented."
Hannes Wolf made six changes in his first game in charge of the Werkself compared with the 3-0 defeat at Hertha Berlin, the last match for Peter Bosz in charge of the Black and Reds. That included the return of Lukas Hradecky in goal and another experienced leader came into a newly formed back three in the shape of Sven Bender. The latter was named man of the match by the KStA for the following reasons: "The key defender firstly provided the necessary organisation in the defence […]. On top of that, he won 67 per cent of challenges and completed 92 per cent of his passes."
Hradecky had missed seven games due to his Achilles injury. Sven Bender had been sidelined for five games before the clash with the Royal Blues. And Exequiel Palacios was able to look back at an even longer spell on the sidelines ahead of #B04S04: Across all competitions, the Argentinian watched nine games from the bench with his last Bundesliga appearance back on 1 November of last year. However, Wolf put 'Pala' straight into his first Leverkusen starting eleven – and that selection was justified with a commanding and energetic performance. The Rheinische Post correctly declares that the 22-year-old midfielder played with "aggressive tackling and great commitment."
The Express talks about a "comeback festival." On the one hand, due to the appearance of the previously mentioned Werkself trio and, on the other, because of the Schalke 04 striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. The 37-year-old was in the Schalke starting line-up for the first time after injury and he scored on 81 minutes to make it 2-1 after goals from Lucas Alario (26’) and Patrik Schick (72’). Huntelaar is now Schalke's oldest ever goalscorer in the Bundesliga.
The Bild-Zeitung uses a short but important quote from the new Bayer 04 head coach Wolf. The 39-year-old said after his debut victory: "We can and should create more chances. It could be better. But I'm happy with the win." The kicker chooses the word "efficiency" used widely in football jargon.
The Werkself's training camp in Weimarer Land all in one place: in our daily blog you'll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day three (Tuesday 4 August) begins with a thorough open session on the pitch. After lunch, some players have media engagements at the team hotel, and then the team come together for a barbecue in the evening.
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Nine matches against teams from nine countries, two penalty shoot-outs won, and encounters that went far beyond football: As with last year, the Inklusionswerkself enjoyed an extraordinary week at the Genuine Cup 2026 in Houston, USA, and made memories that will last a lifetime. This year, the Leverkusen side took part as Germany’s official representatives and, accordingly, took to the pitch in Germany kit. Together with 53 teams from 53 nations, the Black and Reds once again sent a powerful message of inclusion and participation – and also impressed on the pitch by winning their group.
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The Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land all in one place: in our daily blog, you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. The programme for day two (Monday, 3 August) centres on two training sessions – one in the morning (open to the public) and one in the early evening (behind closed doors) – at the nearby training grounds. In the afternoon, fans can look forward to a big fan meet-up with club legend Paulo Sergio at Schloss Blankenhain.
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“Say hello to the Werkself!” – With this request, Loïc Bade gathers everybody in front of his GoPro: Including team-mates like Ibrahim Maza, Lucas Vázquez, Aleix Garcia and Ernest Poku, or Bayer 04 CEO Fernando Carro, head coach Carles Martínez, or even the reception team at the Spa & GolfResort Weimarer Land. In between, there are glimpses of the pool area and the Werkself’s team quarters. Enjoy!
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