1.02.2023Werkself-TV

Matches of the month (06.02.2018): Bellarabi Winner in extra time

15 years later, on 6 February 2018, a quarter-final against Werder Bremen at the BayArena. The Werkself play the North German team for the seventh time in this competition – and the team from Bremen have always come out on top, most recently two years before with a convincing 3-1 win in Leverkusen. It looked like the same old story after ten minutes: the team from the Hanseatic city lead 2-0 with goals from Kruse and Johannsson and the Bayer 04 fans are already forgetting the dream of a title.

Display videos

Yes, I'd like to see videos dispalyed.

But the Werkself fight back and pull a goal back on 31 minutes through Julian Brandt. When the same player equalises on 55 minutes, the BayArena goes wild. The tie now develops into an exciting cup quarter-final with chances at both ends but at 90 minutes the score is still 2-2. In the second half of extra time, coach Heiko Herrlich brings on Karim Bellarabi in place of Dominik Kohr. The roof comes off the BayArena three minutes later when Bellarabi scores from an almost impossible angle to make it 3-2 on 111 minutes.

In that minute there is one of my favourite photos from the history of Bayer 04 – the already substituted but now completely euphoric Julian Brandt expressing his joy with a jump of the century. When Kai Havertz seals the win five minutes later, the hope of going to Berlin is palpable throughout the whole stadium. However, the dream unfortunately does not come true due to a heavy 6-2 home defeat against Bayern Munich.

Related News

Bayer 04 - 18.07.2026

Moreira nets brace in 7-0 win over SF Baumberg in opening friendly

Bayer 04 turned in a dominant performance in a 7-0 win against fifth-tier side Sportfreunde Baumberg in their first friendly ahead of the 2026/27 season. A brace from debutant Afonso Moreira (19', 27') either side of a Christian Kofane strike (23') put the Werkself 3-0 up in the first of the two 35-minute halves in Monheim am Rhein. After the break, Victor Boniface (49', 53'), Robert Andrich (56') and Nathan Tella (67') scored for the completely changed Leverkusen team. It was therefore a successful friendly debut for new head coach Carles Martínez and his team, although the hosts also had something to celebrate despite the defeat: the match marked the inauguration of Baumberg's new ground, the MEGA Stadion.

Bayer 04 - 18.07.2026

Introducing the 2026/27 Away Matchday Collection

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.

Women - 17.07.2026

Price freeze: Get your Women’s season ticket for the 2026/27 season now

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.

Bayer 04 - 17.07.2026

Moreira: Bayer 04 ‘a good place to grow as a player and as a person’

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.