Matches of the month: Two terrific second halves

It is Friday, 4 October 1996. A night match, always special at the old Ulrich Haberland Stadium. Hansa Rostock are the visitors and they take the lead on eight minutes through Stefan ‘Paule’ Beinlich. The Bayer team play with aggression but without any real penetration. Rostock are shaken just before half-time when the Rostock player André Hofschneider is sent off. Just before and after the break, Paulo Sergio turns the game round to put the Werkself 2-1 up. Markus Feldhoff and Erik Meijer score to make it 4-1.

The Rostock coach Frank Pagelsdorf complains about his players being “hunted down”. Bayer 04 coach Christoph Daum replies: “We hunt down every opponent.” And general manager Reiner Calmund, confronted with accusations, counters curtly: “Haven’t we played long enough here.” The new Bayer 04 pleases everyone, both players and fans, and second spot in the table shows the quality of the Werkself.

against Stuttgart: three goals in the second half

Five years later, 20 October 2001: another opponent, but almost the same course of the game fast. VfB Stuttgart visit the BayArena on matchday 10 and they take the lead on nine minutes with a goal scored by Ganea. The leveller comes before half-time from a somewhat fortunate free kick by Zé Roberto. The Werkself overrun the Swabians in the second half and win the match 4-1 with additional goals from Boris Zivkovic, Lucio and the substitute Dimitar Berbatov.

For the first time in that season, coach Klaus Toppmöller cherishes thoughts of winning the title. The way the Bayer 04 group play provides additional hope.

HERE  are TV highlights of the clash with VfB.