Germany lost the opening game in the World Cup finals for the first time since 1982. There was a self-critical reaction after the final whistle. Germany coach Joachim Löw said: "We are obviously disappointed that we lost. It's an unfamiliar situation for us. We didn't play well in the first half and allowed too many counter-attacks. It was better in the second half but we didn't produce the passing game we're known for. We weren't clinical and decisive enough in finishing, too half-hearted going forwards and we gave away the ball too often. We need to show a response in the next game."
Toni Kroos came to the following conclusion. "In the first half we didn't find a way of getting round the Mexicans who were well organised. We did better in the second half and we had the chance to equalise." Mats Hummels said: "We played like we did against Saudi Arabia but against a better team. Mexico deserved to win, partly because we made it too easy for them."
The match winner for Mexico, with two former Bayer 04 players in the starting eleven in Andrès Guardado and Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez, was Lozano who netted the decider on 35 minutes after good work by Chicharito. Kroos almost equalised on 39 minutes when he hit the bar from a free kick. 'El Tri' also had good opportunities to extend their lead.
Julian Brandt came on in the closing stages to make his seventeenth international appearance and he was unlucky with a volley from distance as his effort hit the outside of the post. "Of course, we're under pressure and we have to try and get six points from the last two games," said Kroos. Germany's next opponents on Saturday (20.00 CET) are Sweden in Sotchi.
In contrast, Tin Jedvaj got off to a winning start with Croatia. The Werkself defender remained on the bench in the 2-0 victory for Croatia against Nigeria.
Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personalised Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month…
Show moreTo all Bayer 04 fans: The Fanwelt will be closed all day next Monday 30 June. This is due to preparations for the change of kit supplier from Castore to New Balance on Tuesday 1 July.
Show moreThe Norway U23 international Julie Jorde has completed the move from Bayer 04 Leverkusen to Brøndby IF. The twelve-time champions of Denmark have signed the midfielder on permanent terms after her loan move from the Bundesliga to Denmark in the winter.
Show moreIt is almost two years since Bayer 04 new signing Abdoulaye Faye first stepped foot into the BayArena as a player for the Swedish club BK Häcken in the opening match in the 2023/24 Europa League campaign. A day before his nineteenth birthday, the central defender did not play in the 4-0 win for the Werkself but it was "an incredible night" for him on 21 September 2023 as he explained in his first interview on bayer04.de. "I watched the players and saw the fans. I liked it." It was also the first European night early on in his career. He only joined the then champions of Sweden in the cold north of Europe from his home in Senegal a few weeks before that special moment. Bayer04.de profiles our new defender.
Show moreWelcome, Abdoulaye Faye. The 20-year-old Senegalese central defender joins Leverkusen from top-flight Swedish club BK Häcken. In his first interview he talks about his move to Bayer 04 and his targets with the Werkself.
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