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.
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 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.
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
Alejo Sarco has left Bayer 04 Leverkusen to join Sporting Gijón in Spain’s second division. Bayer 04 have secured a buy-back clause for the 20-year-old Argentine striker, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Borussia Mönchengladbach.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have signed 16-year-old midfield prospect Gabriel Minutillo on a long-term contract. The Germany youth international will play for the U19s this season.
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Bayer 04 preparations for the 2026/27 season are in full swing, with the first friendly now under their belts. Although there are still around seven weeks to go until the first Bundesliga home game in early September, there is already huge anticipation for the start of competitive action for head coach Carles Martínez’s team at the BayArena. For the Bundesliga home matches of the new season, here is the latest information regarding the first phase of single-match ticket sales. The tried-and-tested early-bird phase remains in place. From 23 to 31 July, tickets for matches will go on sale on weekdays; the early-bird phase ends on 5 August at the latest – provided tickets are still available by then.
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Bayer 04 will have to manage without forward Eliesse Ben Seghir for the time being.
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