#InternationalWerkself: Bakker and Frimpong start and win

The first international break of the season is slowly but surely coming to an end. Four Bayer 04 players were in action on Tuesday night in the last matches before their return to Leverkusen.

Mitchel Bakker and Jeremie Frimpong were first up with the Netherlands U21s against Moldova. With the two Bayer 04 full-backs in the starting eleven, the Dutch team lived up to their billing as favourites in the opening qualifier for the U21 European Championships. The hosts netted all three goals in the 3-0 win in the first 54 minutes. Bakker, provider for the second goal scored by the Hertha Berlin new signing Jürgen Ekkelenkamp, was substituted on 66 minutes. Frimpong played for another 15 minutes.

Hradecky and Co. lose to world champions

The Werkself captain Lukas Hradecky and his Finland teammates faced a considerably stiffer challenge. In a World Cup qualifier game in Group D there was an away game at the reigning World Cup winners who ended up winning 2-0 thanks to a brace from Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann. Hradecky went the full distance, striker Joel Pohjanpalo (now on loan at Caykur Rizespor) played up to the 73rd minute. Moussa Diaby did not feature for France in this game.

The World Cup winners are opening up a clear lead in the group but Finland are still in with a good chance of making the play-offs. Having played one game less than second-placed Ukraine, Hradecky and Co. are currently third on the same number of points.

Russia on course

Russia are also on course for the World Cup finals in Group H. The favourites beat Malta 2-0 in Moscow, Werkself keeper Andrey Lunev did not play.

REMAINING INTERNATIONAL FIXTURES:

Charles Aránguiz (World Cup qualifier)

10.9., 01.00 CEST, Colombia vs Chile, Bogota

Piero Hincapie (World Cup qualifier)

10.9., 00.30 CEST, Uruguay vs Ecuador, Montevideo

Exequiel Palacios (World Cup qualifier)

10.9., 01.30 CEST, Argentina vs Bolivia, Buenos Aires

Panos Retsos (World Cup qualifier)

8.9., 20.45 CEST, Greece vs Sweden, Athens

Florian Wirtz (World Cup qualifier)

8.9., 20.45 CEST, Iceland vs Germany, Reykjavik