Tah, who suffered a dead leg in the final group match against Austria and wasn't able to train fully, was fit again in time for the semi-finals. The former Leverkusen player Benjamin Henrichs missed out due to a one-match ban. The Germany coach Stefan Kuntz replaced him at right back with Lukas Klostermann. Nadiem Amiri started up front in place of Marco Richter.
The Germany team started by pressing forward into the opposition box at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara. Rumania focused on their defensive game with counter-attacks and set pieces while Germany looked good up front. It turned into a lively game with Germany having more of possession while Rumania always looked capable of posing a threat. On 21 minutes, Amiri broke through the middle in a counter-attack with the Hoffenheim player scoring with a low drive from 17 yards out to make it 1-0. Rumania had more possession after going behind and looked to find a solution on the pitch. Tah and Co. were lucky when George Pușcaș hit the post on 24 minutes a minute later Rumania found the back of the net from the penalty kick (25'). Rumania were were inspired and Germany looked right after a second drinks break on the half-hour mark. Rumania then hit back again just before the half-time whistle as they turned the game round: Tah endeavoured to stop Andrei Ivan on the edge of the box but his cross found Pușcaș in the middle and he was able to nod Rumania into a 2-1 lead.
Tah was shown the yellow card two minutes after the restart: After losing the ball in midfield the captain held onto the double goalscorer to frustrate a counter-attack. Germany fought their way back into the game as the Kuntz half-time talk appeared to do the trick. Germany then won a penalty on 50 minutes. Luca Waldschmidt tucked the penalty away into the right corner – 2-2. Germany were on top in the second half but were unable to take the lead. Rumania were no longer capable of the counter-attacking style of the first half. In temperatures of almost 40 degrees, Waldschmidt was able to prevent the game going into extra time. The Freiburg player hit a free kick through the wall to make it 3-2. Germany finally wrapped up proceedings in added time: Rumania's Alex Pascanu was shown a red card for pulling the shirt of substitute Lukas Nmecha and Amiri converted the spot kick to make it 4-2.
The final on Sunday night at 20.45 CET as against winner of the second semi-final between Spain and France.
A Werkself pro is in the final of a continental championship and two others are aiming for the semi-finals. Chile with Charles Aránguiz play Colombia on Saturday 29 June (01.00 CET). Leon Bailey and Jamaica are looking to go through to the last four in the Gold Cup – late on Saturday night (23.30 CET) the Reggae Boyz play Panama. Bayer 04 U19 player Marc Lamti is in the second group match for Tunisia at the Africa Cup.
The European jersey has been launched, the UEL opponents have been drawn – and anticipation for the European campaign is running high. To mark the occasion, an autograph session was held on Friday afternoon, 28 August, at the Fanwelt with current Werkself player Montrell Culbreath and official club legend Paulo Sergio.
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After six and a half years, Exequiel Palacios is leaving the Bundesliga and moving from Bayer 04 to the Premier League. The Argentine, who as a Werkself player won the World Cup with his national team four years ago and finished as runners-up at this summer’s tournament, will play for newly promoted English side Ipswich Town with immediate effect. The 27-year-old, whose contract in Leverkusen was due to run until 30 June 2030, joined Bayer 04 in January 2020 as a promising young talent. He steadily developed into one of the best defensive midfielders in the German top flight.
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When Exequiel Palacios moved from the Argentinian club River Plate to Bayer Leverkusen on 1 January 2020, the then 21-year-old could not have imagined just how successful the next six and a half years would be for him. Pala, as he is known, had already won the Copa Libertadores – the most prestigious competition in South American club football – with River Plate. But there were still so many more trophies to come.
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To mark Exequiel Palacios’s departure, we’ve put together a compilation of the midfielder’s finest and most important goals from his six-and-a-half years at the club.
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