The big moment came at exactly 22.37 CET and Emrehan Gedikli was unable to hide a little smile. Head coach Peter Bosz again called up the young striker to his squad for the home game against Hapoel Be’er Sheva (4-1) – and Gedikli came on with ten minutes to play make his first team debut at the age of 17 years, seven months and one day.
And at the Kurtekotten Performance Centre the staff were getting right behind homegrown talent Gedikli who is currently completing a course as a sports and fitness sales executive at Bayer 04. Thomas Eichin, head of the youth section: "I'm incredibly happy that Emrehan has been able to make the step up. He's worked hard for it. The lad has been with us since the U8s and now is suddenly playing alongside the senior players in the Europa League at the age of 17."
Florian Wirtz was even younger than Gedikli when he made his first-team debut for the Black and Reds. Our number 27 is the youngest Bundesliga first team player of all time at Bayer 04 and, in spite of being just 17 years old, has made twelve appearances across all competitions this season. No wonder the market value of this year's winner of the gold Fritz Walter medal (for the U17 age group) has been increased. The website transfermarkt.de recently valued Wirtz at €24 million. The Germany U21 international has therefore more than doubled his market value, which was previously set at €10 million.
Another four Werkself players have also earned an upgrade for their performances: Edmond Tapsoba (+8 to 30 million), Daley Sinkgraven (+2.5 to 7.5 million), Moussa Diaby (+4 to 36 million) and Lucas Alario (+6.5 to 20 million.).
You have decided: Leon Bailey is your Man of the Match for the 4-1 home win against Hapoel Be’er Sheva. The Jamaican, who scored a brace in the game in Israel, made it 2-0 with an assist from Wendell. Congratulations, Leon!
After the Europa League victory against Be’er Sheva, Bayer 04 are back in action in the Bundesliga. Hertha Berlin visit the BayArena on Sunday 29 November (kick-off: 15.30 CET/live on Sky and on Werks11 Radio at bayer04.de plus on the Bayer 04 app). The team from the capital will wear black armbands for this match in memory of former president Heinz Warneke who passed away last Sunday at the age of 89.
Eliminated ahead of the offline round: On Tuesday, 18 November, the Leverkusen console pros played the two remaining matches in the online preliminary round of showdown two. After picking up six points from the first four games last week, the #B04eSports team bagged another three in the two final duels - but it wasn't enough. The Leverkusen team missed out on a place in the offline knockout round, which will take place in this second showdown on 23 November in Frankfurt am Main.
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The VBL Club Championship by WOW 2025/26 continues today, Tuesday 18 November, with the last two of the six online preliminary round matches in the second showdown. Starting at 18:00 CET, Bayer 04 face Karlsruher SC, followed by Borussia Mönchengladbach at 19:00 CET. The games will be streamed live on the Bayer 04 app and on the club Twitch channel. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Just 11 days after their last encounter in the Bundesliga, Bayer 04 Women meet Hamburger SV again. On Sunday (15:00 CET), the two teams will be battling it out at the Volksparkstadion for a place in the DFB Cup quarter-finals. Coach Roberto Pätzold is aware of his team's status as favourites against the promoted outfit - and knows what it will come down to against the awkward opponents.
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Bayer 04 Women goalkeeper Charlotte Voll has been hit by injury again. The 26-year-old suffered an acromioclavicular joint separation in her left shoulder in the latter stages of the Bundesliga match at SC Freiburg on Monday and is set to be sidelined for a number of months. She underwent successful surgery in Düsseldorf on Friday.
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Like they did in the first showdown of the VBL Club Championship by WOW, which the Leverkusen gamers won in spectacular style, Marc and Sean Landwehr also started the second showdown with six points by beating TSG Hoffenheim and VfL Bochum 1848, last-16 participants of the first showdown. The #B04eSports team suffered defeat to SV Darmstadt 98 and Hertha BSC. Meanwhile, Keanu Senkbeil made his VBL CC debut in the clash with the capital club.
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