The goals were scored by Kevin Volland (35’) and Chicharito (37’ pen.). Bayer 04 also hit the woodwork three times through Volland, Pohjanpalo and Kruse. Roger Schmidt fielded 21 players over the course of the friendly.
The Werkself played for the first time in the new white away kit against Real Sociedad, with the Mexican Carlos Vela and the returnee from Real Madrid Asier Illarramendi in the visitors’ starting eleven. And Bayer 04 were first out of the blocks: Volland tested the keeper Ramirez with low drive from 20 yards out on four minutes and two minutes later Volland and Karim Bellarabi combined well but could not pick out Chicharito. The team in white impressed the Werkself crowd with their lively approach, pressing and crisp passing. The Werkself rang the changes up front in terms of positions to the evident pleasure of the fans.
Jedvaj sets up Volland, Chicha doubles the lead
The deserved lead finally came on 35 minutes – and it was the first strike at the BayArena for new signing Kevin Volland. Tin Jedvaj put a delightful ball through the middle where Volland won the foot race with the advancing Ramirez to the edge of the box leaving the striker with an empty net. And the Spanish keeper had to pick the ball out of the back of the net again two minutes later: Admir Mehmedi was wrestled to the ground in the box and Chicharito stepped up to convert the spot-kick with his penalty fired into the roof of the net. The result was a fair reflection of the play for Real Sociedad although it could have been worse immediately before the break when the nippy Benny Henrichs set up Volland but the front man hit the post.
There were three changes at half-time with Julian Baumgartlinger, Wendell and Hakan Calhanoglu coming on. Kevin Kampl moved forward. A smart curling shot from the Slovenia international went just wide of the target on 56 minutes. Just after the hour mark it was time for Roberto Hilbert, André Ramalho and Kyriakos Papadopoulos to get time on the pitch. Kampl continued to shine and he put Chicharito in with a chance on 65 minutes.
Spectacular double against the post
Roger Schmidt then made another four substitutions and two new boys were centre of attention with a double strike against the post on 68 minutes: Joel Pohjanpalo hit the ball against the woodwork and Robbie Kruse the post on the rebound. There were further changes and more fun on the pitch while the fans in the North Stand put in collective singing practice for the impending campaign.
The game against Real Sociedad was the seventh and final pre-season friendly for Bayer 04. The Werkself are in competitive action on Sunday 21 August (15.30 CET) in a First Round DFB Cup tie against SC Hauenstein in Pirmasens.
The Werkself line-up:
Leno – Jedvaj (Hilbert 61’), Toprak (Ramalho 61’), Tah (Papadopoulos 61’), Henrichs (Wendell 46’) – Kampl (Öztunali 66’), Aránguiz (Yurchenko 66’) – Bellarabi (Baumgartlinger 46’), Mehmedi (Kruse 66’) – Volland (Calhanoglu 46’), Chicharito (Pohjanpalo 66’)
The European jersey has been launched, the UEL opponents have been drawn – and anticipation for the European campaign is running high. To mark the occasion, an autograph session was held on Friday afternoon, 28 August, at the Fanwelt with current Werkself player Montrell Culbreath and official club legend Paulo Sergio.
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After six and a half years, Exequiel Palacios is leaving the Bundesliga and moving from Bayer 04 to the Premier League. The Argentine, who as a Werkself player won the World Cup with his national team four years ago and finished as runners-up at this summer’s tournament, will play for newly promoted English side Ipswich Town with immediate effect. The 27-year-old, whose contract in Leverkusen was due to run until 30 June 2030, joined Bayer 04 in January 2020 as a promising young talent. He steadily developed into one of the best defensive midfielders in the German top flight.
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When Exequiel Palacios moved from the Argentinian club River Plate to Bayer Leverkusen on 1 January 2020, the then 21-year-old could not have imagined just how successful the next six and a half years would be for him. Pala, as he is known, had already won the Copa Libertadores – the most prestigious competition in South American club football – with River Plate. But there were still so many more trophies to come.
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To mark Exequiel Palacios’s departure, we’ve put together a compilation of the midfielder’s finest and most important goals from his six-and-a-half years at the club.
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