A tough challenge awaits at the venerable Stade Louis II in the shadow of the Rock of Monaco: AS Monaco are currently second in Ligue 1 and also head Group E in the Champions League after their 2-1 away win against Tottenham Hotspur.
"Monaco are an interesting team," said Bernd Leno at the pre-match press conference the night before the showdown. The Werkself played Monaco in the group stage two years ago losing 1-0 both at home and away. Coach Roger Schmidt clearly remembers both games. "We put in a huge amount of effort ended up with nothing," said the 48-year-old and declared the opponents' game is not change much in that time.
Bender and Calhanoglu set to return
"They don't take many risks and keep lots of players behind the ball," explained Schmidt: "Patience plays an important role against teams like that." The return of two key players in midfield, Lars Bender and Hakan Calhanoglu, comes at just the right time for the boss. Bender was unavailable at Mainz due to an ankle problem and Calhanoglu was sidelined with a bruised shin. "Hakan will very probably be back in the squad and it's looking up for Lars too," said Schmidt. A decision on Bender will come after the final pre-match training session.
The session took place straight after the press conference. Under floodlights and led out by Stefan Kießling the players came onto the pitch in front of empty stands to get a first taste of the unique atmosphere at the spacious Stade Louis II. In addition to being a football stadium it is also home to the local fencers, boxers and swimmers. Monaco home games do not attract as many fans as in German grounds with an average crowd of just over 8,000. However, that is an impressive figure given the city state only has population of 40,000.
Falcao sidelined
The Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim is only interested in the performance of his team and that has certainly in outstanding in recent weeks. Above all, the young Frenchman Thomas Lemar has impressed on the left wing and is suitably confident: "We’re well prepared for Bayer 04 and we want to get a result." Star striker Radamel Falcao will not be playing as he is still suffering from the effects of concussion.
A special afternoon at the Bayer 04 Football Academy autumn camp: At the Liga 20 indoor football centre, in the shadow of the BayArena, two Werkself women’s team players led a training session. Loreen Bender and Selina Ostermeier not only offered the young players advice and support, but also got stuck in themselves.
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Once the final whistle was blown, it was time to take a deep breath. 2-0 down and a 5–2 win in the end. It was a nerve-wracking affair against FC Nürnberg in the second round of the 2026–27 DFB Pokal. Jonas Hofmann said – “We didn’t let our heads drop” – hitting the nail on the head. Indeed, it was clear the Werkself were not prepared to accept elimination from the DFB Pokal. So they went on to score. The Black and Reds made their presence felt with a goal just before half-time, followed by four more in the second half. Or, to put it another way: Edmond Tapsoba’s first Bayer 04 brace, a clinical penalty from Patrik Schick, yet another precision strike from Hofmann and a blistering volley from Lucas Vázquez. Each goal more beautiful than the last! After the match, head coach Carles Martínez praised his team’s commitment above all else and the fact that they never lost belief in themselves. The Werkself review.
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Werkself-TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04's 5-2 win against 1. FC Nürnberg in the second round of the DFB-Pokal 2026/27...
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Bayer 04 came from 2-0 down to beat Nürnberg 5-2 in the second round of the 2026/27 DFB Pokal on Wednesday night. Edmond Tapsoba’s double either side of half-time sparked the turnaround, before Patrik Schick, Jonas Hofmann and Lucas Vázquez ensured progress to the last 16 for the 2024 cup winners.
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