The date is 7 Match 1981. The Bayer 04 team have not for twelve games and are slipping ever closer to the drop zone. Level on points with 1860 Munich, the threat of relegation is looming at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. And now second-placed Bayern Munich are the visitors. Everyone who was there will remember the goals, the first hat-trick for one Bayer 04 player and that was Arne Larsen Ökland. But also our phantom goal in the same match. Watch the video for three minutes of match highlights in the 3-0 home win plus excerpts from a great interview with the star of the match. By the way: An 18-year-old goalkeeper from Berlin came to Leverkusen two days later for a trial training session. His name: Rüdiger Vollborn.







And Bayern Munich once again, 16 years later. Bayer 04 are in the running for the league title in the first year under Christoph Daum. Bayern visit the BayArena as league leaders with a five-point lead so the Werkself are under pressure to perform. The usual front two, Ulf Kirsten and Erik Meijer, are on the bench due to slight knocks. Markus Feldhoff is the only Leverkusen striker and he becomes the matchwinner with three goals. The atmosphere at the stadium is fantastic. And it was before kick-off too when our home end presented the best fan choreography in a German stadium. The video shows highlights of the 5-2 win against Bayern.

Michael Ballack was born on 26 September 1976 in Görlitz, in what was then East Germany. His talent for football became apparent at an early age. After his family moved to Karl-Marx-Stadt – now Chemnitz – he began playing football for BSG Motor ‘Fritz Heckert’ Karl-Marx-Stadt, where he steadily developed his skills. From Year 7 onwards, he attended the Children’s and Youth Sports School and received systematic sporting support, which, in 1988 – due to his growing skill as a player – led to a move to FC Karl-Marx-Stadt. At the age of 16, he had to take a six-month break due to growth problems, but after that, Michael was unstoppable.
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José Elias Moedim Júnior, known as Zé Elias, was born on 25 September 1976 in São Paulo. He received his football training at Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, or Corinthians for short, and was promoted to the first team at the age of just 17. PSV Eindhoven had already taken notice of him by this stage, but the move to Europe was still too early for him. The tenacious defensive midfielder established himself in the first team over the following three years. With Corinthians, Zé Elias won the São Paulo City Championship and the Brazilian Cup in 1995. With his excellent vision, his determination and his assured ball control, he made a significant contribution to his team’s success.
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In their second season in Bundesliga 2 North, the Werkself face Fortuna Köln at their home ground, the Ulrich Haberland Stadium, on matchday 7. Both teams are level on seven points, sitting eighth and ninth in the table.
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In this video you can see impressive and important goals in the history of Bayer 04 from the month of September. It's not always about the beauty of the goals, but also a reminder of special games and players.
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September gets off to a disastrous start, though not for the Werkself: the German national team, featuring Bayer 04 players Jens Nowotny, Michael Ballack and Oliver Neuville, suffer a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of England in a World Cup qualifier at the Olympic Stadium in Munich. Jens Nowotny, in particular, came in for sharp criticism. With this defeat, Germany’s direct qualification is now hanging in the balance.
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