Coach Seoane made four changes to his team from the 1-0 win over Bochum in the Bundesliga. Odilon Kossounou, Piero Hincapie, Exequiel Palacios and Paulinho all started in place of Edmond Tapsoba, Daley Sinkgraven, Nadiem Amiri (all on the bench) and Kerem Demirbay (suspended).
Leverkusen needed around 15 minutes to get going before settling into the game. That came down to the visitors’ compact formation, with Diaby & Co. allowed very little space. It meant a set piece was needed to break the deadlock, with Florian Wirtz’s perfect corner being met by the head of Andrich in the six-yard box and put past Joe Hart on 16 minutes.
It was a thoroughly deserved lead, and Seoane’s side remained the dominant team after that. With great support from the north stand, Bayer 04 pushed Celtic back and were particularly creative down the right. However, it just lacked the final ball and a touch of luck to get another goal.
Yet the visitors were awarded a penalty after a VAR review following Lukas Hradecky’s collision with Kyogo Furuhashi at a cross. Referee Anastasios Sidiropoulos originally waved play on before changing his mind after viewing the scene again. Josip Juranovic converted from 12 yards to level things with five minutes to go in the first half – the Scottish side’s first shot on target. Leverkusen were unlucky again moments later when Diaby took advantage of a mistake at the back but only struck the frame of the goal with his volley. Wirtz then put his rebound against the outside of the post.
Bayer 04 came out with renewed attacking intent in the second half and only just missed out on a second goal. Wirtz played a great through ball into the path of Diaby, but he came up short one-on-one against Hart. Amine Adli was then also denied by the goalkeeper. The Scots were woken up by those chances as Ange Postecoglou’s side took the lead almost immediately afterwards. Furuhashi squared in the box to Jota, who finished into the far corner.
Celtic started to drop further back into their own half after that. The Werkself had more possession and were pushing for an equaliser. The team simply lacked a spark in the final third against the deep-sitting Scots. The best opportunity came from Adli, but Hart got his feet in the way with 10 minutes remaining.
However, Bayer 04 did level things up two minutes later. Wirtz crossed from the right corner of the box to substitute Amiri, who knocked the ball down for Andrich to power home first time.
It would become a magical European night at the BayArena, as Diaby had the place rocking only five minutes later. Wirtz was again at the heart of things, cutting back for the Frenchman to volley home from the edge of the box and make it 3-2. Leverkusen defended with everything they had into the six minutes of added time to see out a deserved home win.
It means Bayer 04 have guaranteed first place in Group G with a game to spare and will go straight into the round of 16 in the Europa League. Hradecky & Co. are next in action on Sunday, 28 November, away at RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga (17:30 CET).
Stats
Bayer 04: Hradecky – Frimpong, Tah, Kossounou, Hincapie (Sinkgraven 75') – Andrich, Palacios – Diaby, Wirtz (Tapsoba 89'), Paulinho (Amiri 75') – Adli
Celtic: Hart – Ralston, Carter-Vickers, Welsh, Juranovic – McGregor, Bitton (McCarthy 76'), Turnbull – Forrest (Abada 72'), Furuhashi (Ajeti 76'), Jota (Johnston 72')
Goals: 1-0 Andrich (16'), 1-1 Juranovic (pen, 40'), 1-2 Jota (56'), 2-2 Andrich (82'), 3-2 Diaby (87')
Yellow cards: Palacios, Hradecky – Carter-Vickers
Referee: Anastasios Sidiropoulos (Greece)
Attendance: 19,830
Exciting experiences and exclusive insights into the Werkself and the BayArena awaited the young footballers from the BA04 Football Academy Guangzhou in China during their visit to the Rhineland this week. As well as taking part in a joint training session with the Bayer 04 Football Academy, the youngsters marvelled at the Bundesliga club’s stadium during a guided tour. The highlight of the visit was a private press conference with former Bayer 04 striker Stefan Kießling, during which he shared tips from his own career with the young players. On Saturday afternoon, 10 October, the group will round off their visit by supporting the Werkself in the away match in Mainz.
Show more
Fun, games and promising talent: At the fourth Bayer 04 Junior Girls’ Talent Day at the Kurtekotten training centre, 90 football-mad girls had the chance to put themselves forward for the Werkself youth teams. During a 90-minute training session, children born between 2011 and 2019 had the chance to demonstrate their skills.
Show more
Despite the international break, numerous Werkself fans turned up at the BayArena on Saturday 3 October. The occasion: Bayer 04, together with Bayer Vital and main sponsor BarmeniaGothaer, organised a Health Day. In the stadium’s Premium Lounge, guests listened to fascinating talks on the subject of cancer, featuring, amongst others, Bayer 04 record appearance holder Rüdiger Vollborn and former Werkself player Hans Sarpei. Afterwards, young and old alike enjoyed interactive stations such as a grip strength test and eye pupil test.
Show more
In issue #56 of Werkself Magazine, Afonso Moreira offers some interesting insights into his home country, Portugal, as part of the ‘Sag mal’ (Tell me) feature. Among other things, the 21-year-old talks about his favourite places in the country on the Iberian Peninsula, the local cuisine and music, as well as heroes and historical figures beyond the world of football. ‘Sag mal’ with Afonso Moreira!
Show more
