Germany were first out of the blocks. Stindl opened the scoring with a crisp shot from ten yards out. The assist was provided by the Leverkusen livewire Brandt who produced an incredibly impressive international performance. The 21-year-old covered a lot of ground, including down both wings, and he was involved in nearly all of Germany's attacks.
Brandt was unlucky on 21 minutes when the Aussie goalkeeper Mathew Ryan saved his effort on goal. Leno was also unlucky when Thomas Rogic levelled the scores on 41 minutes. Shkodran Mustafi blocked the first shot as Leno dived to the left but the keeper was unable to recover in time to save the second shot on goal. Julian Draxler restored Germany's lead three minutes later to make it 2-1 at half-time.
"It was a very, very good first half with good moves," said Germany coach Joachim Löw before adding: "Unfortunately it was only 2-1. A lot of players were making their first appearance at a tournament. I'm completely satisfied."
Germany made the perfect start after the break. Joshua Kimmich provided the assist for Leon Goretzka to make it 3-1 with a volley on 47 minutes.
Australia refused to give up. And they benefited from a deflection: Leno was unable to hold onto deflected long-range effort and Tomi Juric was able to bundle the ball into the net on 57 minutes. Referee Mark Geiger consulted the video evidence before awarding the goal. Brandt's game ended shortly after that. The striker was replaced on 63 minutes by the Liverpool and former Leverkusen player Emre Can.
Neither side was able to find the back of the net for the rest of the game. Germany deserved to win overall thanks to a superior first half. The game failed to flow in the second half.
Chile and Charles Aranguiz on Thursday
Germany's next game is against Chile on Thursday night at 20.00 CET in Kasan. The Leverkusen trio are set to face their team-mate Charles Aranguiz who played in Chile's opening match that saw La Roja beat Cameroon 2-0.
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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During the first international break of the 2026/27 season, set to last just under three weeks, nine Bayer 04 first-team players are in action with their respective national teams. Read on for updates on matches featuring Werkself players…
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Fun, games and promising talent: At the fourth Bayer 04 Junior Girls’ Talent Day at the Kurtekotten training centre, 90 football-mad girls had the chance to put themselves forward for the Werkself youth teams. During a 90-minute training session, children born between 2011 and 2019 had the chance to demonstrate their skills.
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Austria or Kosovo? Claudia Wenger or Lumbardha Misini? Only one of these two Bayer 04 women will see her dream of competing at the World Cup in Brazil (24 June to 25 July 2027) live on beyond the next two weeks. From a Leverkusen perspective, the two direct clashes between the Werkself players as they battle for a place in the second play-off round stand out during the upcoming international break. For several other players, the chance of a World Cup place is also at stake. Bayer04.de provides an overview of the women’s international call-ups.
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