Was it an own goal from the Gladbach keeper Yann Sommer or the first competitive strike for Mitchel Bakker? "I celebrated as if it was my goal," said the 21 year-old full-back with a wink of the eye. But what happened? We take a look back…
Saturday, 21 August 2021. 18.33 CEST. First home match of the season for the Werkself against Borussia. Third minute of the game. Bakker takes a chance from 20 yards out and strikes the ball towards goal. It hits the post and bounces off the standing leg of the Foal's keeper Sommer. And then the ball trickles over the line – 1-0, ecstasy in the stands at the BayArena.
The strike was initially deemed to be an own goal by Sommer but that changed on Monday: The DFL decided the goal was scored by the Leverkusen player. "I'm very happy about that and I'm glad I was able to help the team," declared Bakker whose mission on the day did not end at that point: He set up Moussa Diaby’s goal to make it 3-0 with a pinpoint cross for the Frenchman; with Nadiem Amiri’s goal at 4-0, he picked out Florian Wirtz who then just had to square the ball for the goalscorer.
"He had a big influence on the result against Mönchengladbach because he was involved in several goals. You could see his power and determination," said Bayer 04 head coach Gerardo Seoane in praising the defender. In terms of positional play, the 42-year-old added, "Mitchel still has to improve but that will come with experience. You can't forget he's still a young player and new to the league. It always takes a bit of time."
Bakker himself sees in the 4-0 victory against Gladbach, "that we have lots of quality in our ranks. I hope we can maintain this level and consistently produce good performances." Nevertheless, the Dutchman also has a critical view of the result. "It's clear," he explained, "there is room for improvement – regardless of how well you play. We have to continue to improve. We're working very hard on that in training every day."
Lying third in the Bundesliga, the Werkself made a faltering start in 2026 after the winter break, but gradually rediscovered winning ways and, as in the previous campaign, were among the top 16 in Europe and the top four in the DFB Pokal. In the Bundesliga, the Werkself also remained in the race for Champions League qualification right to the end. However, because setbacks repeatedly crept into the Werkself's performances between good displays and crucial games, it was not quite enough to secure a UCL spot in the end. A season with many ups and downs brought sixth place and qualification for the UEFA Europa League. Part II of the review of the 2025/26 season.
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Following the final match of the 2025/26 season, the prevailing feeling was naturally one of disappointment after missing out on qualification for the Champions League. The Werkself finished the Bundesliga in sixth place, meaning they'll start the 2026/27 campaign in the Europa League. "But to talk negatively about everything now because of that would be wrong," stressed captain Robert Andrich following the final game, knowing that the past year at Bayer 04 was marked, more than almost any other, by the start of a new era and the courage to change – and in particular, the belief in a positive direction. Everyone was aware this process would need time. The first part of the 2025/26 season review.
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The Bayer 04 Women’s squad for the coming season is continuing to take shape: Centre-back Emily Wallrabenstein has moved to Leverkusen from Eintracht Frankfurt’s reserve team, who play in the Women’s Bundesliga 2. The 19-year-old has penned a contract until 30 June 2028.
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Bayern 04 Women have confirmed another summer signing, with midfielder Paulina Platner moving to Leverkusen from SGS Essen. The 20-year-old has signed a two-year contract with the Werkself.
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