In front of a sell-out crowd at the Luzhniki Stadium in the Russian capital, England took an early lead on four minutes when Kieran Trippier scored direct from a free kick and went into the break with a 1-0 lead. The former Borussia Dortmund player Ivan Perisic put Croatia level on 68 minutes. The score was 1-1 on 90 minutes so the game went into extra time. The two sides fought to gain the upper hand but it was the team that finished third in 1998 that came out on top: Former Bayern Munich striker Mario Mandzukic netted the winner at 2-1 in extra time on 109 minutes – to put Croatia, with the former Bayer 04 pros Domagoj Vida (Besiktas) and Vedran Corluka (Lokomotiv Moscow), through to the final.
Croatia, under coach Zlatko Dalic, will face France on Sunday at 17.00 CET after the European Championship runners-up beat Belgium 1-0 in the other semi-final on Tuesday night. Jedvaj's Croatia team now have the opportunity to win the World Cup for the first time in the final against France.
After the first win of the season against 1. FC Union Berlin (4-0) last weekend, the Werkself are aiming to collect another three points at FC Augsburg on Saturday 12 September (kick-off 15:30 CEST). The hosts, meanwhile, are enjoying their best-ever start to a Bundesliga campaign and go into Matchday 3 top of the table for the first time. The Matchday News.
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The Werkself are away to FC Augsburg on matchday 3 of the 2026/27 Bundesliga season. The game at the WWK Arena against the current – and for the first time – league leaders of the German top flight is on Saturday 12 September at 15:30 CEST. Ahead of the match, head coach Carles Martínez spoke about this week’s training and the team’s approach to the fixture, as they face an opponent brimming with confidence. The Spaniard also addressed a number of squad matters.
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FC Augsburg are top of the table for the first time in their Bundesliga history. After two wins for starters, FCA lead the German top-flight with six points and a goal difference of 7 to 1. This Saturday, 12 September (kick-off: 15:30 CEST), Augsburg are looking to build on their strong start to the season against the Werkself. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Following the closure of the 2026 summer transfer window, the Bayer 04 men's and women's first teams lined up for a first-ever joint photo at the BayArena. Werkself fans can now download the official photos for free.
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Bayer 04 Women will be without captain Carolin Simon and striker Valentina Mädl over the coming weeks. Both players missed last Friday's 2-1 Bundesliga win at TSG Hoffenheim because of muscle injuries.
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