South Korean striker Bum-kun Cha made it 1-0 from a corner kick on four minutes. When he added the second twelve minutes later and Christian Schreier made it 3-0 with a direct free-kick after 28 minutes, the Ulrich Haberland Stadium was unrecognisable. The crowd went wild and continued to cheer on the Werkself in the second half.
In the end, the 5-1 victory was the biggest Bundesliga win to date and "the company bosses in the VIP stand were speechless with emotion and enthusiasm. All the great speeches and fine words of recent years did not create this atmosphere. They could not. The team with its great play has created an atmosphere that is unique in Leverkusen." (Kicker from 4 November 1985)
That evening, Bayer 04 produced a seamless display and Werder Bremen coach Otto Rehhagel had the last laugh at the post-match press conference with his statement "Bayer 04 are the absolute title favourites for me". Nobody believed that in the 1980s, that would really be too incredible. But at least the Werkself qualified for the UEFA Cup for the first time at the end of the season.
Dieter Bast was born in Oberhausen on 28 August 1951. He began playing football in the youth team at DJK Arminia Klosterhardt, a local club in Oberhausen. Whilst training as a toolmaker, he moved to neighbouring club Sterkrade 06/07 to play for their U19s, where he caught the eye of Bundesliga sides Rot-Weiss Essen and Borussia Mönchengladbach. Bast opted for Rot-Weiss and played in the Bundesliga from 1970 onwards. In his very first year, he made 22 appearances as a right winger, scoring three goals. Nevertheless, Essen were unable to avoid relegation.
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José Vítor Roque Júnior was born on 31 August 1976 in Santa Rita do Sapucaí, in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. As a youth, he played for São José EC, a club in the east of the state of São Paulo. His professional career began in 1995 with Palmeiras São Paulo. There, Roque Júnior quickly established himself as a key player in the team, making more than 200 appearances and enjoying significant success. With the club, he won the Copa do Brasil in 1998 and the Copa Libertadores in 1999, the South American equivalent of the European Champions League.
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In this video you can see impressive and important goals in the history of Bayer 04 from the month of August. It's not always about the beauty of the goals, but also a reminder of special games and players.
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The Werkself play their first top-flight match in Bayer 04’s history away at Sportfreunde Katernberg. 7,000 spectators turn up at the Am Lindenbruch stadium in that district of Essen. The Katernbergers have transformed the once ‘barren’ pitch into a real gem. On this Sunday afternoon, 19 August 1951, the lush turf provides the perfect conditions for a good game of football.
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Following a thoroughly successful start with a 2–1 home win against VfL Wolfsburg, the Werkself are organising a team event. On Wednesdays, they head to the Nürburgring together and do a few laps at speed. Manager Klaus Toppmöller welcomes this initiative, as it promotes team spirit and integration. During weekly training sessions, the team works extensively on various defensive tactics, as the manager was dissatisfied with his players’ pressing in the final minutes of the match against the Wolves.
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