The third-placed team in Group D went into the knockout game against the Dutch as underdogs. In front of a 50,000 plus crowd at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, there was little to report in the first half – but the match livened up after the restart. The Netherlands defender Matthijs de Ligt foiled an attack by the opposition with a deliberate handball and he was shown the red card after the intervention of VAR. The Czechs had the extra player for over half an hour.
Patrik Schick and his team-mates exploited that advantage with Tomas Holes giving the Czech Republic the lead (68’). And the Bayer 04 striker then sealed the win: Schick made it 2-0 on 80 minutes with a left-foot shot with his fourth goal of the tournament. That makes the Leverkusen front man the second highest goalscorer at Euro 2020 behind Cristiano Ronaldo, who was knocked out along with title holders Portugal in a 1-0 defeat against Belgium. “It’s really crazy. Nobody thought we could get this far. We’re incredibly happy, ” said Schick, who went off to a deserved ovation from the fans when he was substituted in added time.
In the quarter-final between the supposed surprise teams, the Czech Republic play Denmark on Saturday, 3 July. The North Europeans clocked up a convincing 4-0 win against Wales in the Round of 16. The kick-off in Baku (Azerbaijan) is at 18.00 CEST. Good luck, Patrik!
Two other Werkself players were involved in the Round of 16. Aleksandar Dragovic and Julian Baumgartlinger with Austria were up against the impressive Italians. Austria, with Drago on the pitch for the whole game, caused real problems for the team under Roberto Mancini. As a strike by Austria’s Marko Arnautovic was ruled out as offside on 65 minutes, the match went into extra time – Italy came out on top in the end.
Federico Chiesa (95’) and Matteo Pessina (105’) scored for Italy; Sasa Kalajdzic netted a consolation goal at 2-1 on 114 minutes. Drago, the unused Baumi, and Co. were knocked out of Euro 2020 after a brave battle.
For Finland with Werkself number one Lukas Hradecky and striker Joel Pohjanpalo, who was on loan at Union Berlin last term, the exit came at the group stage. The European Championship finals newcomers finished third in Group B but the three points collected were not enough to secure a place in the Round of 16 as one of the top four third-placed teams
Intercultural exchange: a youth team from Ouagadougou, the capital city of Burkina Faso, visited Leverkusen in the last few days. The players and staff from AD DUHA FC enjoyed a varied programme including training, a friendly - and a very special experience on Saturday afternoon.
Show more
The new eSports season is just around the corner. The VBL Club Championship by WOW starts on Thursday 15 October (from 18:00 CEST). And, as every year, here’s an overview: What changes are there? What is staying the same?
Show more
Bayer 04 record-appearance maker Rüdiger Vollborn invites you to another evening in the popular ‘Rudi lädt ein’ series: on Tuesday 10 November, in collaboration with Bayer AG, the focus will be on the Nazi period. The focus will be on football, Bayer 04 and the city of Leverkusen.
Show more
Bayer 04 Leverkusen has secured a new network partner in Extreme Networks GmbH. The leading provider of AI-powered network automation has agreed a five-year partnership with the Bundesliga club, running until 30 June 2031. As part of this, the club’s existing Wi-Fi 5 infrastructure will be replaced by more than 400 Wi-Fi 7 access points, which are specifically designed to meet the requirements of a stadium with a high user density. The aim is to enhance the fan experience while optimising operational processes and security.
Show more
New signing Miguel Gutiérrez has made a good start at Leverkusen and has promptly earned a nomination for Player of the Month in his first few weeks in the Bundesliga. He has scored one goal and provided three assists in four league games. The Spanish left-back has also brought some impressive stats with him to Bayer 04. Issue #56 of the Werkself magazine has taken a look at these figures. ‘Facts & Fun’ with Miguel Gutiérrez.
Show more
