
Peter Bosz on...
...the international between Germany and the Netherlands: “It will definitely be fun. Two teams are playing each other where I know a number of the players. I'm assuming Germany will win. They are at home and strong in every position. Above all with Jona, Jule and Kai: If Joachim Löw plays the three of them then Holland don't stand a chance. (He says with a smile).”
...the Bayer 04 injury list: “With the exception of Joel Pohjanpalo, all the players have been training for the last three weeks. I'm happy about that. That meant we were able to do a lot in terms of fitness and our way of playing. Our tasks as coaches consists of being able to put the best players on the pitch, to continually improve their fitness and ensure they play well together. We're on the right path. The players are fresh and fit.”
...Daley Sinkgraven: “The pace of the game in the Bundesliga is higher than in the Eredivisie. He'll have to get used to that. You don't even have much time in training as I always expect 100 per cent from my players. They close down space and you have to think and act quickly. Daley is ready now. I never worried about signing him.”
...Sinkgraven's game: “Daley is a former attacker who moved back under me. He can be very aggressive and he has to be. At the same time he's a good player. He rarely loses possession and plays a good final ball. And he's also very consistent. He played the whole season under me at Ajax.”
...chances of playing for national teams at Bayer 04: “The example of Lucas Alario shows you can make yourself available for the national team here. It is possible. Lucas hasn't played for a long time but he earned his call up with good performances in the final stages of last season. The same applies to Wendell. I can't really judge how good the competition is in the Brazil team but I'm sure they follow his performances back home in Brazil.”
...Wendell's development: “It's crucial for him: He has to be focused. If he does that then he has great quality – both offensively and defensively. If he doesn't do that then he drops off and doesn't have the desire. As in the friendly against Watford. But his development is good. Absolutely. He looks more solid than in the second half of last season. I can't say whether that's linked to having Daley as competition or whether he feels the confidence of the coach now. And his German continues to improve. And it's good for him that he is now on the team committee. He's taking on more responsibility. For example, for Moussa Diaby. If you look at the two together then you get the impression that Wendell speaks French. (He laughs). He can’t actually speak a word… Of course, Wendell is a great guy. But the only thing that counts in the end is his performance on the pitch.”


The Bayer 04 women’s team secured a win in the friendly during the international break. Without a total of eight international players, coach Roberto Pätzold’s team defeated Bundesliga 2 side Borussia Mönchengladbach 3–1 at the Kurtekotten Training Centre, thanks to goals from Lobke Loonen (1’, penalty), Caroline Kehrer (41') and Valentina Mädl (66').
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Bayer 04 will have to manage without striker Christian Kofane in the coming weeks. The 20-year-old sustained a muscle injury to his left thigh on international duty with the Cameroon national team during the recent international break. This will prevent him from playing in the upcoming Werkself matches.
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FSV Mainz 05 went into the international break on the back of an away win at Borussia Mönchengladbach. Currently sixth in the table, the Rheinhessen side – who have been impressive on the road – now aim to continue their good start to the Bundesliga campaign at home when they face the Werkself on Saturday, 10 October (kick-off: 15:30 CEST). In terms of squad selection, Urs Fischer once again has more options at his disposal. Up front, the Mainz coach is likely to continue relying on what is currently the league’s most successful strike partnership. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Exciting experiences and exclusive insights into the Werkself and the BayArena awaited the young footballers from the BA04 Football Academy Guangzhou in China during their visit to the Rhineland this week. As well as taking part in a joint training session with the Bayer 04 Football Academy, the youngsters marvelled at the Bundesliga club’s stadium during a guided tour. The highlight of the visit was a private press conference with former Bayer 04 striker Stefan Kießling, during which he shared tips from his own career with the young players. On Saturday afternoon, 10 October, the group will round off their visit by supporting the Werkself in the away match in Mainz.
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Fans ask, Carolin Simon answers: As part of Bayer 04’s second Ask Me Anything (AMA) session on Reddit, the Leverkusen captain took questions from the community. The full-back, who returned to the club this summer after ten years away, set aside an hour and a half for the Q&A session with fans, offering a very personal insight into, amongst other things, her daily life as a footballer and her role as captain, as well as her passion for Pokémon.
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