Keeper Hradecky was between the sticks for Finland in the Nations League – and he was able to help secure a 1-0 victory against Ireland with his teammates. Finland are second in the table in League B, Group 4 behind Wales (10 points) with nine points from four matches.
Austria also won 1-0 in their Nations League game against Romania. Aleksandar Dragovic went the full distance, captain Julian Baumgartlinger was substituted on 76 minutes. Austria lead Group 1 in League B after four games with nine points level with Norway.
Without Tin Jedvaj, who was not in the squad for Croatia’s last game of international break due to illness, the Nations League provided a rerun of the 2018 World Cup final between Croatia and World Cup winners France – and the French team again ran out winners. After the 2-1 defeat, Croatia are third in League A, Group 3 on three points behind Portugal and France (both 10 points).
While the three stragglers named above set off for Leverkusen on Thursday to join the team on Friday, the morning training session saw returnees Jonathan Tah, Edmond Tapsoba, Moussa Diaby and Lennart Grill join the Werkself players left at home in focusing on Saturday’s game against FSV Mainz 05.
In the Euro qualifier for the Germany U21s against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Tuesday night, Florian Wirtz had to come off on 26 minutes due to a stomach muscle problem. All-clear: An MRI scan yesterday revealed no structural injury to his stomach muscles. At the press conference ahead of the Mainz game, head coach Peter Bosz announced that Wirtz is recovering but probably will not be available for Saturday.
Santiago Arias got in touch via his social media channels with a photo from the aeroplane from Colombia to Spain and he thanked his fans for their support and get-well wishes. The right back will undergo an operation by a specialist on Thursday. The 28-year-old suffered a broken leg and further complex ligament damage in his ankle playing in a World Cup qualifier with Colombia against Venezuela.
At the start of the week, Leverkusen was classified as a risk area – and the region in and around Mainz is also affected by an increased number of coronavirus infections, which also has an effect on the Bundesliga away game for the Werkself at FSV Mainz 05 on Saturday 17 October (15.30 CEST). Instead of playing in front of 6,800 fans, as originally planned and approved, the match at the Opel Arena will now be played in front of 250 spectators.
Welcome to the Bayer 04 family, little Victoria! Patrik Schick and his wife Hana became parents of a daughter on 9 October. The 24-year-old celebrated his joy with his fans at the start of the week on Instagram and wrote that mother and child are both doing well. Congratulations!
As part of the Virtual Bundesliga, the VBL Club Championship starts the new 2020/21 season on 10 November. In its third season, the competition has a new tournament mode which takes account of the increased number of participants and promises even greater excitement. The range of participants will be organised geographically into the North and West division and the South and East division each with 12 clubs. In each division, all clubs play each other home and away. The Bayer 04 eSports team, made up of Kai ‘DETO’ Wollin and Fabian ‘B04_DUBZJE’ de Cae, is in the North and West division. From the final tables, the first and second place teams from both divisions will compete for the finals of the VBL CC. The clubs in places three to six of each division was also have the chance of qualifying for the finals via a knockout game.
Two lots of congratulations are in order on this Thursday. Congratulations go to our promotion coach Willibert Kremer who celebrates his 81st birthday. Kremer took Bayer 04 into the Bundesliga as coach in 1979. It is also the birthday of Niko Kovac, who made 96 appearances for Leverkusen from 1996 to 98. The Croat is 49 years old.
Bayer 04 have fond memories of their encounters with Heidenheim, including a resounding 6-0 win in the reverse fixture. Kasper Hjulmand’s side would very much like to produce a similarly clinical display as they now head to the Voith-Arena for Matchday 27 on Saturday (15:30 CET). But they come up against a team fighting for their Bundesliga lives at the bottom of the table, 10 points adrift of safety with time running out. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game in our matchday news.
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The Bayer 04 Women welcome FC Carl Zeiss Jena to the Ulrich Haberland Stadium on Sunday night in a white retro look - and in a unique Bayer 04 ‘50 Years of Fan Clubs’ special edition jersey. In sporting terms, head coach Roberto Pätzold's team will face the Bundesliga's bottom team at 18:30 CET looking to keep their chances of third place in the table alive with six games left to play.
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Bayer 04 return to Bundesliga action this weekend. Following their elimination in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League, the Werkself are away to FC Heidenheim 1846 on Saturday, 21 March (kick-off: 15:30 CET) on Bundesliga matchday 27. Ahead of the clash in the eastern Swabian Alps, head coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke about the importance of the fixture and the chances of qualifying for the Champions League next term.
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A quick look at the table shows the situation at FC Heidenheim is serious. The Bundesliga bottom club are already ten points behind the play-off spot with their backs to the wall in sporting terms. With eight games left to play, avoiding relegation appears to be a mission impossible. Nevertheless, they are far from flying the white flag at the Schlossberg ahead of the clash with the Werkself this Saturday, 21 March (kick-off: 15:30 CET). The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen will have to manage without the two strikers in the immediate future. Caroline Kehrer suffered a torn ligament in her right knee and Amy Wrigge tore her cruciate ligament.
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