When Atletico Madrid arrive at the Cologne/Bonn Airport on Tuesday afternoon (5 November), above all their central striker can step onto German soil in confident mood. Until he scored against the Werkself, Morata had only found the back of the net once in the Spanish top-flight against Getafe on matchday one – and that was back in the middle of August. Since then the Spain international has had knee problems as well as a suspension that have kept him out of the side.
However, after coming on against Bayer 04, the 27-year-old scored with a header on 78 minutes – and that was the start of a run. The striker got his name on the scoresheet in all three of the following La Liga games: In the 2-0 win against Athletic Bilbao, in the 1-1 draw against Deportivo Alaves and in the same result against Sevilla. So there will be plenty for the Bayer 04 defence to do
Ahead of the game against Bayer 04, Atletico have injury worries about four players who have the potential to be in the starting line-up: Central defenders Jose Maria Gimenez and Stefan Savic (both with muscle injuries), right-back Sime Vrsaljko (knee operation) plus prodigy Joao Felix (sprained ankle) could still be sidelined. In the last match against Sevilla, the back four was made up of four summer signings - Renan Lodi, Hermoso, Felipe and Kieran Trippier.
The situation in the table in the top flight in Spain is similar to the Bundesliga: Just five points separate league leaders Barcelona and Valencia in thirteenth place. Bayer 04 opponents Atletico are currently one point behind Barca – the team from the capital are fourth. Atleti currently have a remarkable goal difference: With twelve goals scored and seven conceded, the games involving Atletico have produced comparably few goals. If the Werkself succeed in winning then they would be the second team after Real Sociedad (0-2, matchday four) to beat the team coached by Diego Simeone this season in a competitive match.
The Golden Boy Top 100 traditionally lists Europe’s most promising young players. In the latest update, published to mark the start of the new season, four current Werkself players – alongside loanee Francis Onyeka – feature on the list. This means Bayer 04 have the most players in contention of any Bundesliga club.
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Goalkeeper Rafaela Borggräfe will continue to play for Bayer 04 Leverkusen next season. The loan of the Germany U23 international, who joined from Liverpool in the winter, has been extended by a further year.
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The Bayer 04 delegation, led by Fernando Carro, CEO, concluded their multi-day trip to Brazil with a visit to the community-based organisation Bola Pra Frente in Rio de Janeiro – founded by former Werkself player Jorginho. During the visit, Bayer 04 committed to extending support for the Bola Pra Frente project for a further five years. In addition, Jorginho, a member of the Brazil 1994 World Cup-winning squad, was named Bayer 04’s second official club legend. With the visit to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, the club has strengthened the relationships built up over the years in one of Bayer 04’s most important international markets.
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Ten years after retiring as a player, Kristina Sundov is returning to the Bayer 04 Women’s team as assistant coach. The 39-year-old former Croatia international takes over from Remzi Kahraman, who has taken up a new challenge abroad. She has been given a contract to 30 June 2028.
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The training pitches at the BayArena are already buzzing with activity again, even before training officially begins next week. On Monday morning, a small group from the Werkself first-team squad completed a session lasting around an hour. Both new and familiar faces were present.
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