
Sadly there was little to celebrate on the final matchday of the season even though the U19s did secure a comfortable 4-2 victory over relegated Viktoria Köln. After going behind on four minutes the game was turned round with two quick goals before the break. Simon Rhein (37') and Güven Yalcin (38'). Yalcin scored again three minutes after the restart to make it 3-1. With 79 minutes on the clock Sam Schreck netted a fourth goal for the Werkself before Viktoria scored a consolation goal two minutes from full-time.
However, as Schalke 04 (1-1 at Wuppertal) and Borussia Dortmund (1-0 at Duisburg) both secured points it meant the team under Markus von Ahlen and Iraklis Metaxas were unable to take one of the top two spots that would have qualified the team for the German Championship final.
Third place in the end
That could only have happened if Schalke 04 and lost or Dortmund had failed to win. At the end of an exciting season the Leverkusen lads are in third place on 56 points behind Dortmund (58 point) and Schalke (57).
"The lads gave their all again today and did their job," said coach von Ahlen after the game, "but it wasn't to be. Of course, we wish Schalke 04 and Borussia Dortmund all the best for the final rounds."
Dortmund play VFL Wolfsburg as Western champions in the semi-final. Schalke meet Bayern Munich in a two-legged tie.


Attention, Werkself fans: the new Away Matchday Collection is now available from the Bayer 04 online shop and the Fanwelt. It includes t-shirts, zip tops and jackets.
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Season tickets for the Werkself home matches in the new Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga season are now on general sale. The season ticket is valid for all 13 matches at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. The first home match will be played between 28 and 31 August against the runners-up, VfL Wolfsburg, followed by the clash with the German champions, Bayern Munich, between 11 and 14 September.
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A new team, a new environment, a new challenge—and yet one thing remains the same for Afonso Moreira: his attitude. Total dedication, discipline, and the drive to improve every day have defined the Portuguese player since his early days at Sporting CP. “Even back then, I realized I had to work hard to achieve my goals,” said the 21-year-old. His parents also instilled those values in him from a young age. Values that have driven him ever since, accompanied him to France when he signed for Lyon, and now also form the foundation for his new chapter at Bayer 04. At a media session, the lightning-fast winger spoke about his values, as well as his new teammates, the new coach, and his targets at the club.
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Bayer 04 are back on the pitch. Following the first training sessions, the Werkself play the first pre-season friendly on Saturday, July 18. The match against Oberliga club Sportfreunde Baumberg kicks off at 15:30 CEST in Monheim am Rhein. Fans unable to attend the match can watch head coach Carles Martínez’s first game in charge for free via a livestream at bayer04.de and on the Bayer 04 app, as well as on Werkself.tv (exclusively for members). Just log on and watch the games live. All the other Werkself preseason friendlies leading up to the 2026/27 season will also be streamed live for free.
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