Time for a premiere at the Oberwerth Stadium: The Werkself played in the new, red JAKO away kit. Head coach Roger Schmidt opted to start with Chicharito and Kevin Volland up front with goalkeeper Ramazan Özcan making his debut appearance for Bayer 04. Stalwart Stefan Kießling was rested after the intensive week of training and was not included in the squad for the Koblenz game. Tin Jedvaj and Admir Mehmedi, who started the pre-season today with the usual medical checks, were also not in the squad.
The first real chance of the game on three minutes: Kevin Volland put Chicharito through but the Mexican was unable to beat the Koblenz keeper Sebastian Patzler. Just after that, the new signing from Hoffenheim fired a volley goalwards but Patzler pulled off a brilliant save. A brilliant move from Karim Bellarabi including a one-two with Volland led to Leverkusen taking the lead: Bellarabi sent in a cross from the right and an attempted clearance by Ricardo Antonaci ended with the ball in the back of his own net to make it 1-0 on 15 minutes.
Bellarabi and Volland form impressive duo
As expected, the Werkself set the pace against the Regional League side and they moved the ball around with ease. Whenever Bayer 04 upped the tempo going forward Koblenz struggled to cope. And a rapid attack down the right flank ended with Kevin Volland doubling the lead on 25 minutes with his fourth goal in the pre-season to date. Bellarabi then set up Chicharito but his effort went just wide of the Koblenz goal on 32 minutes. Volland again demonstrated his attacking prowess when a fast-paced attack from a lively Werkself side ended with the striker netting again to put Bayer 04 3-0 up on 35 minutes. Bellarabi provided the assists for both of Volland’s strikes.
Roger Schmidt rang the changes after the break bringing on Baumgartlinger, Brandt, da Costa, Calhanoglu, Pohjanpalo and Lomb. The goalkeeper was awake on the hour mark when he saved the only Koblenz shot with his feet. The youngsters Akkaynak, Havertz and Schreck came on at that point shortly before Cacutalua and Abu Hanna. Bayer 04 took the foot of the gas in the second half but still sought to maintain control of the game and chances still came along – as with a shot against the woodwork from the Koblenz captain Andre Marx as he almost turned a Brandt cross into his own net for a second own goal (78’). Brandt rounded off the scoring with an excellent shot from the edge of the box: 4-0 for the Werkself with three minutes to play.
Porto on Wednesday in Bergisch Gladbach
The Werkself can expect a stiffer work-out in the next friendly: The top Portuguese side FC Porto provide the opposition on Wednesday night at the Belkaw Arena in Bergisch Gladbach at 18.00 CET.
Bayer 04: Özcan (Lomb 46’) – Kruse (da Costa 46’), Ramalho (Akkaynak 63’ ), Toprak (Cacutalua 76’), Hilbert (Abu Hanna 76’) – Bender (Baumgartlinger 46’), Kampl (Havertz 63’) – Bellarabi (Brandt 46’), Öztunali (Schreck 63’) – Volland (Calhanoglu 46’), Chicharito (Pohjanpalo 46’)
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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