While Lennart Grill started on the bench, Florian Wirtz was in the starting eleven for the Germany U21 side at the MOL Arena in Szekesfehervar. The team under coach Stefan Kuntz took control of the game from the start but were unable to convert their apparent dominance into goals. The Danes were compact and they had the best chance of the first half in added time through Jacob Brun Larsen.
Denmark continued to pose problems in counter-attacks after the restart and Germany too often lost the ball going forwards. It was no surprise that the neighbours from the North scored the opening goal on 69 minutes through Wahid Faghir. For a long time it looked like that would be the winner for the team coached by Albert Capellas but Stefan Kuntz produced the magic touch in the closing stages. Central defender Lars Lukas Mai, who replaced Florian Wirtz on 87 minutes, headed on a corner from Arne Maier and Lukas Nmecha turned the ball over the line at the far post to make it 1-1 (88').
There was extra time full of end-to-end action. First Jonathan Burkardt was able to head home a cross from David Raum to give Germany a 2-1 lead (100') but the Denmark captain Victor Nelsson levelled from the penalty spot eight minutes later. The match went to penalties as Burkardt could only hit the woodwork with two minutes to play.
Germany had the edge in the penalty shootout. The Mainz 05 keeper Finn Dahmen saved two penalties. The victory takes the Germany team through to a semi-final against the Netherlands on Thursday, 3 June with the kick off at 21.00 CEST. The Oranje beat France 2-1 in their quarter-final.
The junior team of the World Cup winners looked in good shape for a long time in Budapest. From a Moussa Diaby corner, the Leipzig player Dayot Upamecano was able to head France into the lead on 23 minutes. However, the Dutch side grew stronger after the restart and levelled on 50 minutes through Myron Boadu. Diaby was substituted ten minutes later and the French team were hit by a knockout blow just before the end of the game. Boadu scored again to put Diaby and Co. out of the competition.
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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From special edition jerseys to fan banners, the home game against Mainz 05 was all about the many Bayer 04 fan clubs. Accordingly, a fitting tribute to the long-standing Werkself supporters was not to be missed during half-time in the Bundesliga match. Fernando Carro, CEO, honoured the up to 50-year anniversaries of six fan clubs in front of the coaches' benches at the BayArena.
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It is an expression of solidarity and a tribute to the unique fan culture Under the Cross: Bayer 04 Leverkusen make a special statement with the "50 Years of Fan Clubs" jersey. To mark the founding of the "First Fan Club 1976 Leverkusen", which was followed by many more over the years right up to the present day, the Bundesliga club is commemorating 50 years of passion with this new jersey. Highs and lows, successes celebrated together as well as defeats suffered are manifested in this piece of white fabric, a symbol of unwavering identification with the Werkself.
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There’s lots going on at the BayArena today. The home game against FSV Mainz 05 is all about the numerous Bayer 04 fan clubs, whose birth - the founding of the "1. Fanclub 1976 Leverkusen" - dates back 50 years. A number of fan club representatives will be involved in awards, a banner display and a half-time matchday chat, and the Werkself are set to play in a special white fan club jersey. During half-time, Leverkusen mayor Stefan Hebbel and javelin world champion Steffi Nerius will also talk about the Olympic bid involving Leverkusen. Black and Red fans are advised to get to the stadium in good time today. Matchday news.
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The Werkself host Premier League club Arsenal in the Round of 16 first leg in the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League campaign. The match at the BayArena is on 10/11 March. Read on for information on ticket sales for this fixture.
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