A successful matchday for the Black and Reds: Not only was the result right in the home win against FC Augsburg but the team performance as well as individual displays by the Werkself players can be described as extremely successful. Moussa Diaby, Jeremie Frimpong, Mitchel Bakker, Robert Andrich, Florian Wirtz and Lucas Alario were all considered for the top teams across the media.
Diaby received 04 nominations: The Frenchman scored his first hat-trick as a professional player with just four shots in the game against FCA and he was justly rewarded with inclusion in the Team of the Week in BILD, kicker, on the Sportschau and for the DFL. The football magazine kicker gave the hat-trick hero top marks and named him ‘Player of the Matchday’.
Jeremie Frimpong's appearance was marked by inclusion in the BILD, kicker and on the DFL website. With a total of 45 sprints and a top speed of 34.8 kmph, the 21-year-old produced the top stats in the game. He also earned a high 1.5 mark in kicker.
Midfield dynamo Robert Andrich and defender Mitchel Bakker were also considered. In addition, Bakker – like his teammates Diaby Frimpong – was included in the DFL ‘Team of the Week’. The Dutch defender provided the assist for the opener in the Leverkusen goal fest.
The BILD team of the matchday included the two Leverkusen players Lucas Alario and Florian Wirtz in addition to Diaby and Frimpong. The 18-year-old set a personal record of 102 touches of the ball. Carry on, lads.
Patrik Schick has every reason to be happy on his 26th birthday today: The Czech Republic centre forward, at Leverkusen since the summer of 2020, can spend his birthday with his family instead of on the pitch – the Werkself start training on Tuesday this week. Schick can also look back at an impressive record of 18 goals in 17 Bundesliga matches – no other Bayer 04 player has ever achieved that before at this point in the season. Here’s to further success in a Werkself shirt, Patrik. Enjoy your day and stay fit and healthy.
Black and Red birthday greetings are also sent to Kärnten: Robin Dutt, head coach of the Werkself from July 2011 to April 2012, today celebrates his 57th birthday. The Cologne-born coach has been at the helm of the Austrian club Wolfsberger AC since the summer and they are currently third in Austria's top-flight. Many happy returns to you, too.
Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personalised Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month.
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Kasper Hjulmand has led the Werkself back to winning ways and is back in the knockout phase of the UEFA Champions League with Bayer 04 after the 3-0 win against Villarreal on Wednesday evening. In an interview with the Werkself magazine at the BayArena in the team meeting room, directly opposite the dressing room, he provided some special insights for the current issue, which was published in January. A conversation with the 53-year-old coach about values, attitudes and personal experiences as well as interests outside of football.
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The thrilling 3-1 win for Bayer 04 against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Hinrunde is a fond memory for Alejandro Grimaldo, with his brace from free kicks, and coach Kasper Hjulmand, who was in the dugout under the Cross for the first time. Now comes the return fixture in the metropolis on the River Main and after going out of the DFB Pokal and the Champions League, the full focus at Eintracht, currently managed by two interim coaches, is now on the Bundesliga. For their part, the Werkself will do everything in their power to continue the longest winning run against a Bundesliga club. The matchday news.
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Bayer 04 have ended Artem Stepanov’s loan deal at Nürnberg and agreed a new loan to Utrecht in the Netherlands. The Ukrainian striker did not play as much as hoped for at the Bundesliga 2 club and will now continue his development in the Eredivisie for the rest of 2025/26.
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The draw for the knockout play-offs of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League was made on Friday, 30 January and saw Bayer 04 paired with Olympiacos. It’s a reunion with the Greek side following the Werkself’s 2-0 loss in Athens on Matchday 7 of the league phase.
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