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.
Thomas Hörster was born in Essen on 27 November 1956. As a child, he took part in high diving and judo, but was also passionate about football. After starting out at Blau-Weiß Holsterhausen-Essen, he moved on to ETB Schwarz-Weiß Essen. As a U19 player, he trained with the senior side for the first time. And at just under 18 years of age, Thommy – as he is known – made his debut in Bundesliga 2. Over two-and-a-half seasons, he made 71 appearances for Schwarz-Weiß Essen.
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Bernd Dreher was born in Leverkusen on 2 November 1966 and he began playing football at SV Schlebusch at the age of five. At the age of nine, he joined the youth academy at Bayer 04. There, the goalkeeper progressed through all the youth teams and, with the U19s in 1985, he reached the final of the German Championship, that Bayer 04 lost 4-2 to Eintracht Frankfurt.
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Robson Ponte was born on 6 November 1976 in São Paulo. He began his football career in Brazil with CA Juventus. He then played for América FC and Guarani FC. In 1999, he joined Bayer 04. Robson initially played for the Werkself until 2001. He then moved to VfL Wolfsburg on a two-year loan. There, he continued to develop and gained valuable experience in the Bundesliga. In 2003, he returned to Leverkusen, where he particularly showcased his dribbling skills and his ability in attacking midfield. In total, he made 79 appearances for Bayer 04 and scored six goals.
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In this video you can see impressive and important goals in the history of Bayer 04 from the month of November. It's not always about the beauty of the goals, but also a reminder of special games and players.
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On Sunday, 4 November 1951, the first league derby between Bayer 04 and FC Köln took place. The FC Köln stadium in Müngersdorf was absolutely bursting at the seams for this clash. A veritable invasion of Bayer 04 fans from Leverkusen set off for Cologne by tram and bus. From midday onwards, in addition to the scheduled services, six extra tram services ran at the standard fare from Leverkusen Town Hall to the stadium in Cologne. At the same time, buses operated by Grein ran regularly from Wiesdorf market square to Cologne. In the end, over 5,000 Bayer 04 fans waved their black and red flags in the stands at the FC Köln stadium and got behind their team for ninety minutes.
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