After three 1-1 draws in succession against Italy, England and Hungary, Germany yesterday (14 May) secured the first win in the current UEFA Nations League campaign. Goals from Joshua Kimmich, Ilkay Gündogan, Thomas Müller and a Timo Werner brace paved the way to a 5-2 win against European champions Italy. Bayer 04 defender Jonathan Tah came on as a late sub to replace Niklas Süle in the centre of defence.
The team under coach Hansi Flick are currently second in Group 3 in League A with six points from four games. Hungary lead the table with one point more, Italy (five) and England (two) follow in third and fourth places. The final group matches in the Nations League for Germany are at the end of September with Hungary the visitors in Leipzig on 23 September and that is followed by an away game against England on 26 September.
The last World Cup opponents for Germany were decided yesterday when Costa Rica beat New Zealand 1-0 in the play-offs and they will now compete in Group D alongside Japan and Spain. That means there will be a rerun of the opening game of the 2006 World Cup in Germany, which the hosts were able to win 4-2.
Lukas Hradecky and Finland came within a whisker of picking up a point. The Scandinavians lost 3-2 away to Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Finns came back from conceding an early goal with strikes from Teemu Pukki and Benjamin Källman putting them ahead before Bosnia's Edin Dzeko netted a brace to win the game. Bayer 04 captain Hradecky played the full 90 minutes.
Finland are third in Group 3 in League B in the Nations League on four points after four matches. Bosnia-Herzegovina lead the group with eight points. The next opponents Romania (23 September) are currently fourth on three points and Montenegro (26 September) are second with seven points.
France remained without a win in their fourth match in the Nations League on Monday 13 May. The 2018 World Cup winners suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat against their final opponents back then Croatia. Real Madrid's Luka Modric scored the winner for Croatia from the penalty spot on five minutes. Werkself forward Moussa Diaby was an unused sub.
The Équipe Tricolore are bottom of Group 1 in League A with two points after two draws and two defeats. Denmark (9), Croatia (7) and Austria (4) are ahead of them. France are next in action against Austria on 22 September and that is followed by a game against Denmark on 25 September in League A of the Nations League.
France now also know their opponents in their opening game in the World Cup in Qatar. Australia beat Peru in the play-offs on Monday with a 5-4 win on penalties to secure one of the last tickets to the forthcoming World Cup. The other teams in Group D are Denmark and Tunisia.
A few weeks ago Borussia Dortmund were marooned in mid-table mediocrity in the Bundesliga. Then the Black and Yellows started a run that overcame all comers. And suddenly a Champions League spot was again within reach. BVB will be looking to take the next step towards the big target at the BayArena on Sunday, 11 May (kick-off: 15:30 CEST). Coach Niko Kovac has almost his full squad available. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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A cracker of a semi-final at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. The Bayer 04 U19 team entertain Bayern Munich on Saturday, 10 May (kick-off: 11:00 CEST/stadium opens: 10:00 CEST). In front of a home crowd, the team led by head coach Sergi Runge, who welcomes back an attacking player, is looking to build on the battling performances from the previous knockout games and "perform at the right moment." Tickets are available from the Bayer 04 online shop and the game will also be broadcast live on Sky.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen will be the first Bundesliga club to open and operate a football academy in Brazil. The "Bayer 04 Football Academy São Paulo," led by Bayer 04 club legend Paulo Sérgio, will be established on the Bayer Brazil campus in São Paulo and accommodate up to 300 children and youth ages 5 to 15.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen announces the launch of three new digital channels in Portuguese, designed to bring fans in Brazil, Portugal, and Portuguese-speaking communities around the world even closer to the pulse of Die Werkself throughout the year.
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