By half-time it was clear the Germany U21s would qualify for next year’s European Championship finals. With the results elsewhere, the team under coach Stefan Kuntz were guaranteed to at least finish second in the group by the start of the second 45. But the Germany team wanted more – and that was to qualify as group winners by beating Wales.
The hosts in Braunschweig were suitably motivated for the task at hand. Ridle Baku of VfL Wolfsburg broke into the opposition penalty area after 15 minutes and he was upended by a Welsh opponent. Lukas Nmecha (RSC Anderlecht) converted the penalty to open the scoring (17’). Nmecha could have extended the lead four minutes later but the second penalty – Baku had been fouled again – was hit wide of the left upright. So it was left to Jonathan Burkardt of Mainz 05 to make it 2-0 (26’) with a delightful curler from 13 yards out. Wales rarely threatened the goal minded by the keeper Finn Dahmen, who was given the nod over Lennart Grill. But the only dangerous effort on goal from the visitors did find the back of the Germany net: Mark Harris scored on 34 minutes with a shot from 14 yards out into the bottom left corner to make it 2-1.
Florian Wirtz was brought on in the 60th minute. The 17-year-old took time getting into the game. A shot from 20 yards out was blocked (82’), a solo run and shot near the end ended with ball flying wide of the target. The score remained 2-1 for the Germany U21s and qualification for the Euros as group winners was confirmed. The tournament will be completed in two parts: The group matches will be played between 24 and 31 March 2021; the finals will be held from 31 May to 6 June.
Nadiem Amiri and Jonathan Tah did not start for Germany in the final group match in the Nations League in Seville. Both Leverkusen players were on the bench. They looked on as the Spaniards ruthlessly exploited the errors made by the Löw team. Alvaro Morata headed in from a corner (17’), Ferran Torres scored with a volley (33’) and Rodrigo netted a second header from a corner (38’) to put the hosts on course for victory before half-time.
Germany coach Joachim Löw made one change at the break: Jonathan Tah replaced Niklas Süle. But the course of the game did not change. The Spaniards were more focussed and made fewer mistakes. Ferran Torres scored twice more to make it 4-0 (55’) and then 5-0 (72’). Mikel Oyarzabal rounded off the scoring at 6-0 (89’).
Leon Bailey will return to Leverkusen with that winning feeling. The Leverkusen star played twice in four days for Jamaica against Saudi Arabia in Riyadh. After a 3-0 defeat for the Reggae Boys on Saturday, they were able to beat the Saudis in the second game on Tuesday. With Leon Bailey in the starting line-up, Jamaica ended up winning 2-1. Abdullah Al-Hamdan put the hosts in front on 29 minutes but Daniel Johnson levelled five minutes later with Leon Bailey providing the assist. Javon East scored the winner at 2-1 on 64 minutes. Bailey was replaced by Kevon Lambert with eight minutes to play.
Whether it's sport or his private live: Captain Edmond Tapsoba tells us his top three personal favourites in twelve categories in edition #56 of the Werkself Magazine. The defender had to answer as quickly as he reacts on the pitch. 'On the Podium' with Edmond Tapsoba!
Show more
“Year after year, this is an incredibly valuable gathering, both in terms of the content covered and the opportunity for mutual discussion,” stressed Bayer 04 goalkeeping coach David Thiel in his welcoming address at this year’s goalkeeping coaches’ meeting. This was the third time in four seasons that the event had been held at the BayArena. Organised by the German Football Association (DFB), the meeting brought together goalkeeping coaches from the Bundesliga, Bundesliga 2 and the 3rd division from the west region. For the first time this year, goalkeeping coaches from the youth performance centres (NLZ) were also present. Bayer 04 fitness coach Markus Müller provided fascinating insights into the specific fitness training carried out with the Werkself’s goalkeepers.
Show more
A floodlit derby, two further night games and a top-of-the-table clash on a Saturday afternoon: The German Football Association (DFB) has confirmed the exact dates for four further matchdays in the Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga. This means all fixtures for the Bayer 04 women’s team up to the end of the year, as well as the first two in 2027, are now confirmed.
Show more
It was another incredibly close call in the end: The second showdown in the 2026/27 VBL Club Championship saw the #B04eSports team once again narrowly miss out on a place in the top 16 of the preliminary round – and with it, a spot in the in-person knockout stage. It was a bitter blow: Marc and Sean Landwehr again fell just short, despite being level on points with their rivals. As was the case last month, their weaker record across the twelve individual matches in the six preliminary round fixtures proved decisive.
Show more
Several Werkself players are set to represent their national teams during the final international break of 2026. Here’s an overview of who has been called up and the matches they will face in November. This article will be updated regularly.
Show more
