Edmond, you’re starting the Europa League campaign against OGC Nice. What do you think about the draw?
The draw is good, I’m happy about our opponents Nice, Slavia Prague and Hapoel Beer Sheva. Our target must be to go through to the next round. But anything can happen in football, we have to be focused and keep on improving. Even if the opponents are strong – we are Bayer 04, we want to win the group.
How do you rate Nice?
They are a strong opponent from a strong league. Dante plays there and I really rate him. He’s a defender I very much like and I watched him on television during his time at Bayern and playing for Brazil. It will be special for me to play against him.
What does it mean to you to play in the Europa League again?
Every player loves European games. For me it’s a challenge to play at that level. I played in the Europa League at Guimarães but that was different because they’re a smaller club. Anything is possible with Leverkusen and last season we were in the quarter-finals against Inter Milan. We have to improve this season. I dream of winning the Europa League with Leverkusen.
You’re only 21 years old but have already played 16 Europa League games including the quarter-finals...
When I was young, I didn’t think I’d play on the European stage so early. I thought I’d do it when I was 24 or 25. I’m very happy about it and working hard to play more games at this level. The game against Inter was a highlight of my career in spite of the 2-1 defeat. I want to get there again.
What highlights have you experienced in the Europa League before joining Leverkusen?
Almost exactly a year ago, I played for Vitoria Guimarães in London against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium and we won 3-2 after drawing 1-1 in Portugal. And we also won 2-0 at Standard Liege. Unfortunately we didn’t go through to the knockout rounds because we lost twice in the group against Eintracht Frankfurt. I scored three goals in qualifiers for the group stage with two of them coming in the 4-0 victory against Jeunesse Esch (Luxembourg, ed.). I scored the winner in the 1-0 against FCSB from Bucharest.”
What’s your assessment of the start of the season in the Bundesliga?
We’re not unhappy but we could have done better. Six points from four games is not what we were hoping for. We’ve got a good team with outstanding players and the ability to get more points. Winning the first game on matchday four was a bit late. But we want to build on that and show what we can do in all competitions.
The schedule that faces nearly every team is very intensive this year. There are lots of double fixture weeks and you’ve been on duty for Burkina Faso on top of that. What do you say to that heavy workload?
I’ll take it as it comes. We footballers just love to play. If you rest well and recover properly then it shouldn’t be a problem having to play a lot of games. It’s easier when you win and that makes it real fun. That’s why we want to beat Nice.
Werkself-TV shows the highlights of the Bayer 04 women's 4-0 win at SGS Essen on the 24th matchday of the Google Pixel Frauen-Bundesliga 2025/26.
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Bayer 04 put in a brilliant performance to beat RB Leipzig 4-1 on Bundesliga matchday 32 and are now fourth in a Champions League spot. The Black and Reds took control of the game right from the start and, with 75 per cent possession at one stage, took a 2-0 lead into the break through Patrik Schick (25’) and Nathan Tella (45+1’). The visitors initially tried to do more after the break, but the Werkself remained determined and Schick scored his second goal to increase the lead to 3-0 (76'). The Red Bulls pulled a goal back through Christoph Baumgartner (80'), but the disciplined Leverkusen side were not rattled - and certainly not Schick: The Czechia international crowned a brilliant display with his third goal shortly before the final whistle to make the final score 4-1.
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In the previous game against RB Leipzig in December last year, the Werkself turned came from behind to win 3-1 and further improved Leverkusen's already strong record against the Red Bulls. Montrell Culbreath stood out with his first goal on his debut for the Black and Reds. While the 18-year-old would certainly like to score a second goal against Leipzig on Saturday night, the attack-minded visitors come to the BayArena in confident mood after five Bundesliga victories in a row. The Nordkurve12 supporters group knows the Werkself will therefore once again be reliant on the vociferous support of the fans, and has once again called for the ‘Finally Red’ campaign in the run-in. Today’s matchday news.
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Video games manufacturer Electronic Arts (EA), together with the German Football League (DFL), announced the top male and female selections for the 2025/26 Bundesliga season this week. Bayer 04 striker Vanessa Fudalla is in the starting eleven of the women's "Team of the Season". Alejandro Grimaldo and Aleix Garcia have been selected as bench players in the men's team.
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