Kai ‘DETO_OFFICIAL’ Wollin met Bremen’s Fabio ‘FIFABIO97’ Sabbagh in the first clash on PlayStation 4. Both sides were fully focussed and tried to avoid making any mistakes. Wollin played a clever game for the 90 minutes and earned a point in a goalless draw with a direct rival. “The opponent is well-known for his strong defence. I knew I wouldn’t get many chances. I had two or three decent openings but I didn’t finish them well. I didn’t give anything away at the back,” was his assessment.
In the second game on Xbox 1, Fabian ‘B04_DUBZJE’ De Cae played Michael ‘MEGABIT’ Bittner. The match promised to be a thriller. De Cae netted a brace in the first half and secured a deserved 2-1 victory in the end. “I played really well in the first half and was clinical with both chances. The opponent played a pressing game in the second half and threw everything into attack. I allowed myself to get distracted and played too fast but I deserved to win in the end,” said ‘B04_DUBZJE’.
Matchday 12 followed in the evening with a game against Hannover 96 that saw Marc ‘MARC_LDW23’ Landwehr make his singles debut for the #B04eSports team on PlayStation 4. Landwehr made an impressive start to the game with aggressive pressing and he won a lot of challenges. He was well on top in the first half and did not give away any clear-cut chances. After his opening goal, he quickly doubled his lead. The game took an unfortunate turn for the worse in the second half with a penalty conceded and Hannover went on to level. “With the second goal I conceded, I brought the central defender back to prevent the opponent playing a diagonal ball. But it can’t be helped. An unlucky twist,” said Landwehr. “Although I would have preferred to win, I was very happy to play my first singles match on PlayStation.” De Cae faced Fabian ‘H96_DONCHAP’ Deutscher in the second match. He clocked up a 1-0 win on Xbox 1.
The doubles matches against Werder Bremen and Hannover 96 will be played on the New Year due to the coronavirus pandemic. That meant the Bayer 04 eSports trio were able to secure provisional 4-1 wins. The team go into the winter break in the North West division in fifth place on 45 points. Bayer 04 are back in action against Holstein Kiel on matchday 14 on 12 January.
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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