Three days after the 4-0 win against Twente Enschede, Bayer 04 sealed another victory in a friendly against the team third from bottom in the Dutch first division (Eredivisie). "3-1 is a good result," was the assessment of Bosz. "Today we tried to do a couple of things better that we didn't do so well in the game against Twente. In the first friendly for example, the build-up from the back took too long for my liking and we did it better today. But there are also other things we have to do better in future," added the 55-year-old Dutchman.
Bosz separated his squad into two teams for the first of two friendlies of the day: A side for the match against Zwolle and another for the friendly against Preußen Münster, which followed directly after the first game behind closed doors. "We don't have much time and it's important for me to get to know all the players. And it's good for the players to get 90 minutes on the pitch," said the new Werkself head coach in explaining the approach.
In front of a crowd of 470 at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium, the Werkself got off to the poorer start against the visitors from Holland – in the opening ten minutes, goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky kept his team from going behind three times. The Black and Reds then came into the game and created a number of goalscoring opportunities. After shots from Julian Brandt, Leon Bailey, Kai Havertz, Charles Aránguiz and Lars Bender failed to find the back of the net it was Kevin Volland who opened the scoring on the half-hour mark. Brandt provided the assist with some impressive dribbling and the final pass. Just three minutes after the opener, Bailey, who was playing on the right flank, doubled the lead – this time Volland provided the assist in the penalty area. Havertz was then twice frustrated by saves from the alert PEC keeper Mickey van der Hart. Bayer 04 went into the break with a 2-0 lead.
In the second half, the Werkself carried on where they had left off in the first 45 minutes, playing on the front foot and pressing the visitors back. Of the best chances created for the Werkself, only Bailey was able to reap the benefit when on 75 minutes – put through by Brandt – he coolly slotted the ball past the Zwolle keeper van der Hart to double his tally. Seconds before the final whistle, Zwolle prevented a second win for Bayer 04 without conceding when Stanley Elbers converted a rebound from close range to make it 3-1.
Bayer 04: Hradecky – L. Bender (Stanilewicz 69'), Tah, S. Bender, Wendell – Aránguiz – Bailey, Havertz, Brandt – Volland, Bellarabi
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.
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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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