Back
19.06.2023Bayer 04

#InternationalWerkself: Hradecky and Hlozek on course for success

Before they set off for a well deserved summer break after an energy-sapping 2022/23 season, several Werkself players are, or have been, away with their national teams. While the international break has ended for Sardar Azmoun, Edmond Tapsoba and Piero Hincapie due to injury, Lucas Hradecky, Adam Hlozek and Patrick Pentz were involved in Euro 2024 qualifiers once again. Florian Wirtz with Germany and World Cup winner Exequiel Palacios with Argentina are involved in final friendlies.
crop_LH_International.jpg

Wirtz is set to play for Germany against Colombia in Gelsenkirchen on Tuesday. The friendly at the Veltins Arena kicks off at 20.45 CEST. Wirtz played for 80 minutes in the game between the team under coach Hansi Flick and Poland in Warsaw on Friday 16 June. Germany lost 1-0 to the hosts.

czechia secure top spot

Two Leverkusen players secured important wins in the Euro 2024 qualifiers: Werkself skipper Lukas Hradecky lined up for Finland on Friday against Slovenia. The game ended in a 2-0 victory for the Scandinavians. The team with the Bayer 04 keeper are in action again today Monday 19 June with a 18.00 CEST kick-off against San Marino in Helsinki.

Adam Hlozek also helped his team pick up points. The striker with his Czech teammates played the Faroe Islands on Saturday 17 June. Hlozek was substituted on 69 minutes with the score at 2-0. The game ended in a 3-0 victory. Czechia secured their top spot in Group D. Their next match against Montenegro is tomorrow Tuesday 20 June (kick-off: 18.00 CEST).

Austria played Belgium on Saturday. Patrick Pentz was not in the matchday squad and the game between the two sides under German coaches Ralf Rangnick (Austria) and Domenico Tedesco (Belgium) ended in a 1-1 draw. Austria's next opponents in the Euro 2024 qualifiers are Sweden. The kick-off tomorrow is at 20.45 CEST.

AZMOUN nets another brace

The Werkself player Edmond Tapsoba with Burkina Faso faced Cape Verde in an AFCON qualifier on Sunday 18 June. Tapsoba played the full 90 minutes in a 3-1 defeat with Burkina Faso already qualified for the AFCON finals before the game.

Tapsoba's teammate Sardar Azmoun featured in another win after the emphatic 6-1 victory over Afghanistan. Azmoun with Iran clocked up a 5-1 win against Kyrgyzstan. And, once again, Azmoun helped his team win with a brace (66'/79') and he was named man of the match in the game in the CAFA Nations Cup.

Piero Hincapie went off injured on the half-hour mark in the friendly between Ecuador and Bolivia. Ecuador won the game 1-0. Their next match on Wednesday is against Costa Rica but Hincapie will not be available.

World Cup winner Exequiel Palacios is currently away with Argentina. The Werkself player did not feature in the 2-0 win against Australia on Thursday 15 June. The next game for the Argentinians is today Monday 19 June against Indonesia.

 

Forthcoming international fixtures:

Florian Wirtz (Germany)

20 June: Germany vs Colombia (friendly)

Lukas Hradecky (Finland)

19.06.: Finland vs San-Marino (Euro qualifier)

Patrick Pentz (Austria)

20.06.: Austria vs Sweden (Euro qualifier)

Adam Hlozek (Czechia)

20.06.: Montenegro vs Czechia (friendly)

Piero Hincapie (Ecuador)

21.06.: Ecuador vs Costa Rica (friendly)

Exequiel Palacios (Argentina)

19.06.: Indonesia vs Argentina (friendly)

Amine Adli (France U21)

22.06.: France U21 vs Italy U21 (Group stage, U21 Euros)

25.06.: Norway U21 vs France U21 (Group stage, U21 Euros)

28.06.: France U21 vs Switzerland U21 (Group stage, U21 Euros)

 

Photo: Juha Tamminen/SPL

 

Related News

crop_imago1070815431.jpg
Bayer 04 - 01.01.2026

AFCON blog: Werkself quartet in last 16 - Maza and Kofane score

Four Bayer 04 players are in action at the 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations being played in Morocco from 21 December to 18 January 2026: Eliesse Ben Seghir for the hosts, Edmond Tapsoba with Burkina Faso, Ibrahim Maza for Algeria and Christian Kofane with Cameroon. Updates on the AFCON matches involving Werkself players...

Show more
Rudi Vollborn
Bayer 04 - 01.01.2026

Rudi recounts…: Vollborn’s January highlights

Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personalised Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month…

Show more
Martin Terrier gegen 1. FC Köln
Bayer 04 - 30.12.2025

Bundesliga Goal of the Year: Vote now for Terrier or Wirtz

With their wonderful goals, Martin Terrier and Florian Wirtz are up for the Bundesliga Goal of the Year 2025. Voting for fans will run exclusively via the official Bundesliga app until Sunday, 4 January.

Show more
Fernando Carro und Simon Rolfes
Bayer 04 - 30.12.2025

Carro and Rolfes' year-end interview: 'A new beginning – and promising prospects'

The ‘year after’ the most successful year in the club's history brought many changes at Bayer 04. In an exclusive double interview with bayer04.de shortly before the Christmas break, Fernando Carro and Simon Rolfes spoke about building a new team capable of winning trophies, the work of coach Kasper Hjulmand, the young new signings who have quickly developed into key players, and their personal plans for the Christmas holidays. Their outlook for the coming year also shows that the potential is far from exhausted and ambitions remain high.

Show more
U19 von Bayer 04
Youth - 29.12.2025

Youth teams review 2025: Thrilling final and historic progress in Youth League

Last-minute ecstasy, huge disappointment and a historic performance on the European stage - 2025 was a real emotional roller coaster, especially for the U19s. A rousing run in the knockout phase secured the team a place in the final of the German championships, where they lost by the narrowest of margins. Despite the departure of several key players, the young Werkself team quickly regained their usual strength and qualified for the knockout rounds in the UEFA Youth League for the first time at the end of the year. In 2025, youngsters Jeremiah Mensah and Montrell Culbreath made their debuts in the Bundesliga, the DFB Pokal and the UEFA Champions League. The other youth teams also contributed great performances and a number of trophies to the collective Black and Red success, while the successful Bayer 04 Future Kids project broke new ground. Read on for the 2025 review of the youth teams.

Show more