The Werkself coped surprisingly well with the difficult surface. Jupp Zesar, usually deployed in defensive midfield or defence, started the game as a centre-forward and scored the first two goals before the break. In the sixth minute, he latched onto a through pass from accomplished string-puller Richard Job and finished with a crisp shot into the far corner. For the second goal a minute before the break, Zesar volleyed home a cross from Job. Bayer 04 deserved the first-half lead and could even have gone into the break further ahead, but Walter Nußbaum missed a penalty.
The men from Sodingen emerged from the dressing room with a completely different mindset and reduced the deficit with their very first attack of the second half. When they then equalised ten minutes later, Bayer 04 seemed completely rattled and the game threatened to slip from their grasp. Goalkeeper Fredy Mutz just managed to fish a wonderful long-range shot out of the top right-hand corner midway through the second half. The game was on a knife-edge and offered plenty of action with chances at both ends. In the 81st minute, Job broke through on the left, charged into the centre and shot from 20 metres out. The effort was straight down the middle, but slipped through the fingers of Sodingen keeper Schmidt and landed in the net, prompting jubilation from the Leverkusen supporters. Staring defeat in the face, the Westphalian club fought to the end but the Werkself held out and the two points remained under the Bayer cross.
Dieter Bast was born in Oberhausen on 28 August 1951. He began playing football in the youth team at DJK Arminia Klosterhardt, a local club in Oberhausen. Whilst training as a toolmaker, he moved to neighbouring club Sterkrade 06/07 to play for their U19s, where he caught the eye of Bundesliga sides Rot-Weiss Essen and Borussia Mönchengladbach. Bast opted for Rot-Weiss and played in the Bundesliga from 1970 onwards. In his very first year, he made 22 appearances as a right winger, scoring three goals. Nevertheless, Essen were unable to avoid relegation.
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José Vítor Roque Júnior was born on 31 August 1976 in Santa Rita do Sapucaí, in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. As a youth, he played for São José EC, a club in the east of the state of São Paulo. His professional career began in 1995 with Palmeiras São Paulo. There, Roque Júnior quickly established himself as a key player in the team, making more than 200 appearances and enjoying significant success. With the club, he won the Copa do Brasil in 1998 and the Copa Libertadores in 1999, the South American equivalent of the European Champions League.
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In this video you can see impressive and important goals in the history of Bayer 04 from the month of August. It's not always about the beauty of the goals, but also a reminder of special games and players.
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The Werkself play their first top-flight match in Bayer 04’s history away at Sportfreunde Katernberg. 7,000 spectators turn up at the Am Lindenbruch stadium in that district of Essen. The Katernbergers have transformed the once ‘barren’ pitch into a real gem. On this Sunday afternoon, 19 August 1951, the lush turf provides the perfect conditions for a good game of football.
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Following a thoroughly successful start with a 2–1 home win against VfL Wolfsburg, the Werkself are organising a team event. On Wednesdays, they head to the Nürburgring together and do a few laps at speed. Manager Klaus Toppmöller welcomes this initiative, as it promotes team spirit and integration. During weekly training sessions, the team works extensively on various defensive tactics, as the manager was dissatisfied with his players’ pressing in the final minutes of the match against the Wolves.
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