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
Sandwiched between their UEFA Champions League knockout play-off tie against Olympiacos, Bayer 04 return to Bundesliga action on Saturday with a trip to Union Berlin (kick-off: 15:30 CET). It’s a fixture of contrasting styles, with Leverkusen preferring to control the play while Union look to remain compact and counter. The Berliners are therefore suited to facing top teams, but they have only ever managed to win one of 16 meetings with the Werkself, who are looking for a fifth clean sheet of 2026 but will need to beware the home side’s threat from set pieces. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game in our matchday news.
Show more
After six wins in seven games, the Werkself will be looking to continue their winning run in the capital at FC Union Berlin. Coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke ahead of the match on Saturday, 21 February (kick-off: 15:30 CET) about defenders, the short preparation time and the condition of the pitch at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei.
Show more
Union Berlin have performed particularly well against the top clubs in the Bundesliga this season with a draw at home to Bayern Munich and wins against VfB Stuttgart and RB Leipzig. This Saturday, 21 February (kick-off: 15:30 CET), the Irons now welcome the Werkself, currently sixth in the table, to the Stadion An der Alten Försterei. And the hosts are in desperate need of a win. The lowdown on our next opponents.
Show more
It took exactly 60 minutes for the Werkself to take the lead through a perfectly finished counter-attack by Patrik Schick in the first leg of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League play-off at Olympiacos. Referring to the meeting in the league phase and the initially squandered opportunities, coach Kasper Hjulmand said afterwards: "I thought: 'Oh no, déjà-vu.'" But after the opening goal, it took just 144 seconds for the Czech to spark more wild celebrations among those in black and red in the Greek cauldron, when Schick nodded in Alejandro Grimaldo's corner. Much to the delight of the Bayer 04 fans, his teammates and his coach, who had warm words for the striker in the aftermath. The Werkself Review.
Show more
