Seoane made two changes from the team that drew 2-2 away at Hertha Berlin in the Bundesliga on Saturday. The injured Exequiel Palacios was replaced by Andrich in midfield, while Odilon Kossounou started at right-back in place of Frimpong in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
The coach had called for “resolute tackling, quick passing and good switching of sides” in both penalty areas during his press conference yesterday. It was a plan the Werkself carried out well, especially in the first half.
Jonathan Tah & Co. looked courageous from the first minute in defence, pressed early and enjoyed plenty of possession. It took just seven minutes for Leverkusen to carve out the first chances. Piero Hincapie got past Nahuel Molina and crossed to Adam Hlozek before Andrich had a go from range.
The 25,528 spectators inside the BayArena witnesses an even game at the start. It took Atletico over 20 minutes to find a way through the Werkself backline, and they thought they had a penalty when claiming Edmond Tapsoba handled while trying to clear a cross. Referee Michael Oliver originally pointed to the spot before VAR intervened to decide there was no wrong doing.
Kerem Demirbay and Hlozek had further opportunities but were unable to make a breakthrough. Diego Simeone’s side posed a threat again after the half-hour mark when Joao Felix got past Andrich but not Hlozek on the edge of the box as it remained goalless at the break.
Leverkusen tried to continue where they left off going into the second half. It took Seoane’s men just three minutes to create a double chance when Diaby found Patrik Schick in the centre, but he struck the crossbar with only goalkeeper Ivo Grbic to beat. The ball bounced back into play and landed at Hlozek, but his header then struck the left post.
Bayer 04 were now spending more time in the opposition half and pushing for a winner. Their best chance of the game so far again fell to Schick on 70 minutes when he chased down an attempted clearance, beat Axel Witsel and Mario Hermoso before rounding Grbic, but Felipe slid in at the decisive moment to block.
It was all Leverkusen in the closing stages. With six minutes to go, substitute Frimpong set off on a determined run. Despite being held, he kept going and teed up Andrich in the centre, who picked out the bottom left corner for a deserved lead.
Although they were now ahead, the Werkself didn’t sit back to try and see the result home. Callum Hudson-Odoi won the ball back and Frimpong was again away down the right towards the Atletico goal. He picked up out Diaby keeping up through the middle, who only had to turn the ball home to round off a thoroughly deserved 2-0 win.
The Werkself are again in action at the BayArena on Saturday, 17 September when they host Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga at 15:30 CEST. The next European action isn’t until after the international break when Seoane takes his side to Porto on Tuesday, 4 October.
Match stats:
Bayer 04: Hradecky – Hincapie, Tapsoba (Bakker 89'), Tah, Kossounou – Demirbay (Amiri 90'), Andrich – Hudson-Odoi, Hlozek (Frimpong 69'), Diaby (Azmoun 89') – Schick (Aranguiz 89')
Atletico Madrid: Grbic – Molina (Griezmann 96'), Felipe, Witsel, Hermoso, Reinildo – Llorente, Koke, Niguez (De Paul 45') – Morata (Cunha 73'), Joao Felix (Correa 73')
Goals: 1-0 Andrich (84'), 2-0 Diaby (87')
Referee: Michael Oliver (England)
Yellow cards: Kossounou, Tah, Andrich
Attendance: 25,825
Kicking off the new season with a fresh look: Bayer 04, in collaboration with sportswear manufacturer New Balance, has unveiled the official kit for Leverkusen’s e-Sports players for the coming season. The jersey is now available from the Bayer 04 online shop and the Fanwelt.
Show more
Paulo Sergio and Bayer 04 have enjoyed close ties since the Werkself training camp in his native Brazil last summer. The club legend is in charge of the Bayer 04 Soccer Academy, which opened in the summer of 2025, and he has also been at this year’s training camp in the Weimarer Land. As well as interacting with the many fans who travelled to the camp, the 1994 World Cup winner used the time to plan the next steps for the Academy together with club officials. In an interview with bayer04.de, Sergio spoke about the project’s future development, the upcoming visit by young Academy players to Leverkusen, and plans for the coming months in Germany and Brazil.
Show more
A round-up of 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. Day five (Thursday 6 August) is as follows: The squad have the final open session of the training camp in the morning. After lunch, there will be a team event.
Show more
A round-up of 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. Day four (Wednesday 5 August) is all about training. The day begins with a gruelling open training session – new signing Miguel Gutiérrez also takes part. A second session follows in the afternoon, this time behind closed doors.
Show more
At the training camp in the Weimarer Land region, Bayer 04 head coach Carles Martínez and his long-standing assistant Pol García talk about their first few weeks with the Werkself, their expectations of their own work, the coaching staff and the squad, as well as the style of football they want the team to play. They emphasise the importance of a winning mentality within the team, comment on cultural and personal differences in the world of football, and outline their goals for the coming season...
Show more
