Germany missed out on taking a decisive step in qualifying for the 2020 European Championships. The duel with the neighbours from the Netherlands on Friday 6 September ended in a 4-2 defeat for the German team. The goals for Joachim Löw’s side were scored by Serge Gnabry (9') and Toni Kroos (73' pen.); Frenkie de Jong, Jonathan Tah (o.g. 65'), Donyell Malen (79') and Georgino Wijnaldum (91') netted for the Oranje.
Playing in his home city, Tah was in the starting eleven in front of a capacity 51,299 crowd at the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg. With Bayer 04 head coach Peter Bosz looking on, the Werkself number four played the full 90 minutes in a back three alongside Niklas Süle and Matthias Ginter. Kai Havertz started on the bench and came on in the 61st minute.
In spite of the defeat, Germany (nine points) have the chance to lead Group C on Monday 9 September. In a 20.45 CET kick-off in Belfast, Germany face Northern Ireland who have the maximum return of twelve points from four games to date.
Austria have maintained their challenge in Group G. The team led by captain Julian Baumgartlinger, who played for 75 minutes, beat bottom of the group Latvia 6-0. Aleksandar Dragovic was on the pitch for 82 minutes in Salzburg.
There were no winners in the duel between Lucas Alario and Charles Aránguiz; the friendly between Argentina and Chile in Los Angeles ended in a goalless draw. Alario came off the bench on the hour mark and Aránguiz was in the starting line-up for La Roja and he was brought off with two minutes to play
Lukas Hradecky remains on the road to success with his national side. Finland beat Greece 1-0 in the Euro qualifiers and are in second place in Group J behind leaders Italy. Hradecky played the full 90 minutes.
Paulinho was a winner with the Brazil U23 side in a friendly against Colombia and he too played the full 90 minutes in a 2-0 victory.
Moussa Diaby featured in the convincing 4-0 win for the France U21s in a friendly against Albania in Amiens. The Werkself midfielder went the full distance.
Panos Retsos tasted defeat with the Greece U21s. Playing against the Germany U21s coached by Stefan Kuntz, Greece, who played with ten men after 37 minutes due to a sending off, lost 2-0 in Zwickau. Retsos had the chance to score a consolation goal with four minutes to play but his header was saved by goalkeeper Lennart Grill.
Remaining fixtures for Bayer 04 players:
Kai Havertz, Jonathan Tah (Germany)
Monday 9 September (20.45 CET, Belfast): Northern Ireland v Germany (Euro qualifiers, Group C)
Charles Aránguiz (Chile)
Wednesday 11 September (03.30 CET, San Pedro Sula): Honduras v Chile (friendly)
Lucas Alario (Argentina)
Tuesday 10 September (04.00 CET, San Antonio): Argentina v Mexico (friendly)
Leon Bailey (Jamaica)
Saturday 7 September (02.00 CET, Montego Bay): Jamaica v Antigua & Barbuda (CONCACAF Nations League)
Tuesday 10 September (02.00 CET, Georgetown): Guyana v Jamaica (CONCACAF Nations League)
Julian Baumgartlinger, Aleksandar Dragovic (Austria)
Monday 9 September (20.45 CET, Warsaw): Poland v Austria (Euro qualifiers, Group G)
Lukas Hradecky (Finland)
Sunday 8 September (20.45 CET, Tampere): Finland v Italy (Euro qualifiers Group J)
Paulinho (Brazil U23)
Tuesday 10 September (01.00 CET, Sao Paolo): Brazil U23 v Chile U23 (friendly)
Moussa Diaby (France U21)
Monday 9 September (21.00 CET, Troyes): France U21 v Czech Republic U21 (friendly)
Panos Retsos (Greece U21)
Tuesday 10 September (16.30 CET, Athens): Greece U21 v Lithuania U21 (friendly)
Adrian Stanilewicz (Poland U20)
Monday 9 September (15.00 CET, Rzeszow): Poland U20 v Portugal U20 (friendly)
Mark Lamti (Tunisia U23)
Friday 6 September (20.45 CET, Yaundé): Cameroon U23 v Tunisia U23 (U23 Africa Cup qualifier)
Tuesday 10 September (20.45 CET, Tunis): Tunisia U23 v Cameroon U23 (U23 Africa Cup qualifier)
Bayer 04 were beaten 1-0 away at Union Berlin on Matchday 23 in the Bundesliga. Kasper Hjulmand’s side struggled to create clear chances, while the hosts struck the only goal of the game through Rani Khedira in the 28th minute.
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Sandwiched between their UEFA Champions League knockout play-off tie against Olympiacos, Bayer 04 return to Bundesliga action on Saturday with a trip to Union Berlin (kick-off: 15:30 CET). It’s a fixture of contrasting styles, with Leverkusen preferring to control the play while Union look to remain compact and counter. The Berliners are therefore suited to facing top teams, but they have only ever managed to win one of 16 meetings with the Werkself, who are looking for a fifth clean sheet of 2026 but will need to beware the home side’s threat from set pieces. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game in our matchday news.
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After six wins in seven games, the Werkself will be looking to continue their winning run in the capital at FC Union Berlin. Coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke ahead of the match on Saturday, 21 February (kick-off: 15:30 CET) about defenders, the short preparation time and the condition of the pitch at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei.
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Union Berlin have performed particularly well against the top clubs in the Bundesliga this season with a draw at home to Bayern Munich and wins against VfB Stuttgart and RB Leipzig. This Saturday, 21 February (kick-off: 15:30 CET), the Irons now welcome the Werkself, currently sixth in the table, to the Stadion An der Alten Försterei. And the hosts are in desperate need of a win. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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