#InternationalWerkself: Bakker and Co. win U21 Euros qualifier
04 of the Werkself players currently away on international duty were able to celebrate wins with their national teams. A summary of the first matches involving Bayer 04 players…
The Netherlands U21s, with Bayer 04 left-back Mitchel Bakker playing the full 90 minutes, are top of Group E in the European Championship qualifiers. Thanks to a 3-0 victory over Moldova, the Oranje youngsters went above Switzerland in the group. They have a one-point lead.
Direct qualification for the U21 Euros finals is in the hands of Bakker and Co. this week. The final opponents in the qualifiers are Gibraltar (7 June) and Wales (11 June) – and they are currently in the bottom two in the group.
two wins in Afcon qualifiers
Edmond Tapsoba and Odilon Kossounou were also winners in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Tapsoba’s Burkina Faso secured a 2-0 win against Cape Verde in the first game in Group B. The Werkself central defender was in the starting eleven but he had to off on the half-hour mark due to a thigh problem. Get well soon, Eddi. The next match is against Eswatini on 7 June.
Ivory Coast with Kossounou took top spot in Group H. They started with a 3-1 win against Zambia with the Leverkusen defender on the bench. The Ivorians have another international fixture coming up against Lesotho on 9 June.
Diaby and Co. lose
Moussa Diaby was the only player on the losing side for starters. The Werkself winger and the Nations League title holders were on the wrong end of a 2-1 scoreline against Denmark. Andreas Cornelius, teammate of Bayer 04 homegrown player Emrehan Gedikli at the champions of Turkey Trabzonspor, hit back after Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) scored the opener. Diaby came on in added time to make his fifth full international appearance.
France have another two games in the top group in the Nations League: The Equipe Tricolore play Croatia on 6 June and Austria four days later.
Hincapie und Co. siegen
Ecuador with Werkself player Piero Hincapie played the first of three friendlies in the current international fixtures overnight from Thursday to Friday European time. Pervis Estupinan (FC Villarreal) scored the only goal of the game against Nigeria on three minutes at the New York Red Bulls ground. Hincapie played the full 90 minutes. The World Cup participant has a friendly against Mexico on 6 June and another against Mali five days later.
Tah und Hradecky starten in Nations League
Two other Werkself players start the final international fixtures of the season tonight (Saturday 4 June): Goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky with Finland face Bosnia and Herzegovina at 18.00 CEST and Germany, with Jonathan Tah in the squad, play Italy at 20.45 CEST.
INTERNATIONAL FIXTURES:
Jonathan Tah – Germany
4 June, 20:45 CEST: Italy vs Germany (UEFA Nations League)
7 June, 20:45 CEST: Germany vs England (UEFA Nations League)
11 June, 20.45 CEST: Hungary vs Germany (UEFA Nations League)
14 June, 20.45 CEST: Germany vs Italy (UEFA Nations League)
Lukas Hradecky – Finland
4 June, 18.00 CEST: Finland vs Bosnia & Herzegovina (UEFA Nations League)
7 June, 18.00 CEST: Finland vs Montenegro (UEFA Nations League)
11 June, 20.45 CEST: Romania vs Finland (UEFA Nations League)
14 June, 20.45 CEST: Bosnia & Herzegovina vs Finland (UEFA Nations League)
Moussa Diaby – France
6 June, 20.45 CEST: Croatia vs France (UEFA Nations League)
10 June, 20.45 CEST: Austria vs France (UEFA Nations League)
13 June, 20.45 CEST: France vs Croatia (UEFA Nations League)
Exequiel Palacios – Argentina
5 June, 20.00 CEST: Argentina vs Estonia (Friendly)
Piero Hincapie – Ecuador
6 June, 01.30 CEST: Mexico vs Ecuador (Friendly)
12 June, 23.30 CEST: Ecuador vs Cape Verde (Friendly)
Edmond Tapsoba – Burkina Faso
7 June, 15.00 CEST: Eswatini vs Burkina Faso (AFCON qualifier)
Odilon Kossounou – Ivory Coast
9 June, 21.00 CEST: Lesotho vs Ivory Coast (AFCON qualifier)
Mitchel Bakker – Netherlands U21
7 June, 20.00 CEST: Netherlands U21 vs Gibraltar U21 (Euro qualifier)
11 June, 18.00 CEST: Wales U21 vs Netherlands U21 (Euro qualifier)
Related News
Business - 24.07.2026
Imping is Bayer 04’s new coffee partner
Bayer 04 Leverkusen has a new coffee partner. The club has agreed a long-term partnership with the Bocholt-based roastery Imping, running to 30 June 2031. The exclusive partnership with the family-run business includes the installation of fully automatic coffee machines at the BayArena, as well as the right to supply and serve coffee products in the business areas during Werkself home games.
Show more
Bayer 04 - 23.07.2026
Meet the legends, pub quiz and more: events fans can look forward to at the summer training camp
Plenty going on both on and off the pitch: The Bayer 04 fan support team has organised a number of highlights for fans visiting the Werkself 2026/27 summer training camp in Blankenhain, in the Weimarer Land region. Registration for the events is now open. All the details at a glance.
Show more
Women - 23.07.2026
s2-Software remains Bayer 04 Women’s team sleeve sponsor
The Bayer 04 Leverkusen Women’s team and s2-Software are continuing their long-term partnership: The Werkself and the provider of pre-owned Microsoft licences have extended their contract by two years to 2028. This means s2-Software will remain the Bayer 04 sleeve sponsor for all matches in the Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga.
Show more
Women - 22.07.2026
BIOGENA new performance partner for Bayer 04 Women
BIOGENA is the new performance partner for the Bayer 04 Leverkusen Women’s team. Under a partnership initially set to run for three years, the club and the leading Austrian micronutrient company are pooling their expertise in the areas of health, fitness and top-level performance.
Show more
Football Academy - 22.07.2026
‘I was a striker for a long time’: Kids’ press conference with Blaswich and Rapsch
100 children from the Bayer 04 Football Academy had the chance to gain exclusive insights: As part of the summer camp, the young footballers headed inside the BayArena at midday on Tuesday, 21 July, where they were due to meet Werkself keepers Janis Blaswich and Simeon Rapsch in the press conference room. The two players took plenty of time to answer every question from the inquisitive audience – whether it was about their own careers or their first impressions of the new head coach. Finally, there was even time left to sign autographs for the young fans.
Show more
