Bayer 04 captain Lukas Hradecky started the Euro 2024 qualifiers on Thursday night 23 March. The keeper and his Finnish compatriots played Denmark in Copenhagen. The Finns lost 3-1 in the match in Group H. Hradecky played the full 90 minutes. The next game for Hradecky and Co. is on Sunday 26 March: The Eagle Owls are away to Northern Ireland in Belfast. The kick-off is at 20.45 CEST..
Argentina, with Exequiel Palacios in the squad, played Panama in Buenos Aires overnight. The World Cup winners earned a comfortable 2-0 win in the friendly. The Leverkusen midfielder Palacios did not come off the bench. The second friendly for La Albiceleste play a second friendly against the team from Curaçao on Tuesday 28 March.
Piero Hincapie was in action in Melbourne: The Leverkusen player with Ecuador faced Australia on Friday morning (CET) 24 March. The game ended in a 3-1 win for Australia. Hincapie played the full 90 minutes. The two teams meet again next Tuesday at 10.30 CEST.
Noah Mbamba was called up to the Belgium U19 squad last week. Belgium played Slovenia on Wednesday 22 March in the U19 Euro elite round. The match in Bremen ended in a goalless draw. The midfielder came off the bench on 78 minutes. Tomorrow, Saturday 25 March, sees the 18-year-old and his teammates play their next game: The Belgium youngsters face the Germany U19s at 16.00 CET.
The first game for Madi Monamay with the Belgium U17 side in the U17 Euro elite round – also against Slovenia – ended all square at 1-1. The central defender played the full 90 minutes. Their next match is on Monday 27 March against the Croatia U17s with the match kicking off at 13.00 CEST..
Other Werkself players play their first internationals today Friday: Adam Hlozek with Czechia have their first Euro qualifier. The first opponents in Group E are Poland. The match in Prague kicks off at 20.45 CET. Austria, with goalkeeper Patrick Pentz, also start their Euro qualification campaign. Austria play Azerbaijan in Linz tonight. The kick-off is at 20.45 CET.
Odilon Kossounou is involved in the Africa Cup of Nations with the Ivory Coast at home to Comoros in a qualifier on Friday afternoon. The match in Bouaké starts at 17.00 CET. Edmond Tapsoba with Burkina Faso is in action four hours later in Marrakech: Les Étalons play Togo at 21.00 CET..
Forthcoming international fixtures:
Adam Hlozek (Euro qualifiers):
24.3, 20.45 CET, Czechia vs Poland, Prague
27.3, 20.45 CEST, Moldova vs Czechia, Chisinau
Patrick Pentz (Euro qualifiers):
24.3., 20.45 CET, Austria vs Azerbaijan, Linz
27.3., 20.45 CEST, Austria vs Estonia, Linz
Moussa Diaby (Euro qualifiers):
25.3, 20.45 CET, France vs Netherlands, Paris
27.3, 20.45 CEST, Ireland vs France, Dublin
Lukas Hradecky (Euro qualifiers):
26.3., 20.45 CEST, Northern Ireland vs Finland, Belfast
Odilon Kossounou (AFCON qualifiers):
24.3., 17.00 CET, Ivory Coast vs Comoros, Bouaké
28.3., 15.00 CEST, Comoros vs Ivory Coast, Moroni
Edmond Tapsoba (AFCON qualifiers):
24.3, 21.00 CET, Burkina Faso vs Togo, Marrakech
28.3, 21.00 CEST, Togo vs Burkina Faso, Lomé
Florian Wirtz (Friendlies):
25.3., 20.45 CET, Germany vs Peru, Mainz
28.3., 20.45 CEST, Germany vs Belgium, Cologne
Exequiel Palacios (Friendlies):
28.3., Kick-off TBC, Argentina vs Curaçao, Santiago del Estero
Piero Hincapie (Friendlies):
28.3., 10.30 CEST, Australia vs Ecuador
Mitchel Bakker (U21 friendlies):
25.3., 18.00 CET, Netherlands U21 vs Norway U21, Pinatar
27.3., 14.00 CEST, Netherlands U21 vs Czechia U21, Pinatar
Amine Adli (U21 friendlies):
25.3., 18.00 CET, England U21 vs France U21, Leicester
28.3., 18.30 CEST, France U21 vs Spain U21, Vannes
Noah Mbamba (U19 Euro elite round):
25.3., 16.00 CET, Germany U19 vs Belgium U19, Bremen
28.3., 12.00 CEST, Italy U19 vs Belgium U19, Bremen
Madi Monamay (U17 Euro elite round):
25.3., 13.00 CET, Belgium U17 vs Croatia U17, Fredeikstad
28.3., 17.00 CEST, Norway U17 vs Belgium U17, Sarpsborg
The Werkself need a win in their penultimate match of the season at RB Leipzig on Monday evening (18:00 CEST) to keep their hopes of third place alive until the final day. After Eintracht Frankfurt lost on Saturday, Roberto Pätzold's side can close the gap on their rivals to two points and leave it all to play for next Sunday.
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Werkself TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04's 1-3 loss at VfB Stuttgart on Matchday 33 of the 2025/26 Bundesliga season...
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Down to fifth from fourth place despite taking an early lead: in the head-to-head for a Champions League spot, Bayer 04 were 1-0 up at VfB Stuttgart with just a minute played thanks to an Aleix Garcia strike, but ultimately lost 3-1 (2-1) to the more determined hosts. It meant the Swabians leapfrogged the Werkself in the Bundesliga table on the penultimate matchday.
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Today sees Bayer 04 go head-to-head with their next direct rivals in the race for Champions League qualification (kick-off 15:30 CEST). Opponents Stuttgart are currently fifth in the table, level on points with the Werkself but one place below them due to a three-goal inferior goal difference. The Black and Reds' record at Bad Cannstatt tells a clearer story: they've not lost at VfB for over 16 years. One important factor in securing what would be three crucial points away from home is Leverkusen's strength on the counter-attack. Whilst Stuttgart are also extremely dangerous going forward, they will be without their captain. Today’s matchday news.
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