"The corner ratio of yesterday's game - 10 to 2 in favour of Kalk - speaks volumes and only allows a proper assessment of this championship game in a very dubious championship. The Leverkusen team ratings: Goalkeeper: excellent, Defence: satisfactory, Halfbacks: weak, Forwards: the singer's, or rather the reporter's, courtesy covers the activity of the first five with a cloak of charity."
But the reporter, as he calls himself, has words of praise for the referee:
"The 23rd man on the pitch, the referee, officiated with refreshing clarity and incorruptibility. He knew his job and kept the game firmly in hand from start to finish. On more than one occasion, the spectre of a sending-off was raised among the players and the crowd, who at times provided lively assistance, also felt the referee's firm will. In the middle of the second half, two of the Leverkusen spectators felt inspired to engage in an interlude of boxing and wrestling. The referee showed understanding by interrupting the match. There was no positive information about the outcome of the fight."
The Black and Reds had a dismal day and "their inability to shoot, which had already been proven many times before, made itself felt again. The team was completely headless and the more the spectators tried to inject some momentum with well-meaning shouts and advice or less well-meaning criticism, the more insecure and indifferent the players seemed to become."
After trailing at the break, the Werkself surprisingly took the lead with two goals from their striker Josef Bönnen, who had probably forgotten his "inability to shoot" for a short time, but after the equaliser "Leverkusen's goalkeeper was given an unusually hard job, but saved the most difficult efforts. The home team owed the draw to him alone."
Conclusion: "Leverkusen gave their supporters a disappointment and the half success achieved can be called a lucky one."
Christoph Daum was born on 24 October 1953 in Zwickau. As a child, he moved to West Germany with his mother and grew up in Duisburg. He developed a great enthusiasm for football at an early age, even though it soon became clear that his future lay less on the pitch than on the sidelines. Even at a young age, his passion for analysing, explaining and improving things became apparent.
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When the Bayer 04 players celebrated Christmas in 1960, they spent the winter in second place in the Oberliga West 2 on 20 points - but already five points behind leaders Schwarz-Weiß Essen. However, coach Erich Garske's team are struggling to get back on track in the new year. A goalless draw against Bonner FV at home at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium was followed by a 2-1 away defeat in Erkenschwick. The following home game also yielded just one point. As a result, the team's promotion ambitions dwindled to a minimum, as the gap to the coveted spot has now grown to a challenging ten points.
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In this video you can see impressive and important goals in Bayer 04 history from the month of February. It's not always about the beauty of the goals, but also a reminder of special games and players.
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It is 11 February 2006 and Schalke 04 and the Werkself kick off at 3.30 p.m. in a match that ends up being historic - at least from a Bayer 04 perspective.
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As league leaders, the Werkself welcomed the relegation-threatened team from Rhenania Würselen. On 4 February 1951, 5,000 spectators line the touchlines despite the Sunday carnival parades. And they see a home team that is superior on the pitch. Without Theo Kirchberg, who was ill, and Emil Becks, who was suspended, the hosts attacked the opposing goal from the start. Battling against a strong wind in the first half, Bayer 04 created chance after chance, but were repeatedly thwarted by the Würselen goalkeeper. With the score at 0-0 at half-time, Karl Heinz Spikofski tried his luck on 55 minutes and hammered the ball into the opposition net from 20 metres out. Rhenania can no longer counterattack. The siege of the Würselen penalty area continued right to the end, but the game ended in a narrow 1-0 win.
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