Werkself lose 4-3 to FC Utrecht

For the game against his fellow countrymen, head coach Peter Bosz fielded a team that could be a starting line-up in the second half of the season. Lars Bender led the team out as captain. His brother Sven was rested after picking up a knock in yesterday's training session. Winter signing Exequiel Palacios played in the second friendly of the day against the Swiss team FC St Gallen.

Bayer 04 control the ball

With the temperature of eleven degrees and windy weather in the south-east of Spain, the Black and Reds had a lot of possession in the first game of the year against Utrecht and the first chance came on four minutes with a Karim Bellarabi volley from a Moussa Diaby cross. For the Dutch side, there were two setbacks early on: In the first six minutes, Willem Janssen and Adam Maher both went off injured. Utrecht had more luck on 17 minutes: The Spanish striker Adrian Dalmau escaped the attentions of the Werkself defence after two lost headers and put the ball past keeper Lukas Hradecky to the bottom corner to make it 1-0.

Efficient Utrecht

Julian Baumgartlinger had the best chance for Bayer 04 in the first 30 minutes. The holding midfielder moved up for a free kick from Nadiem Amiri but the Utrecht keeper Maarten Paes was able to turn his shot away for a corner (26'). Then the Dutch were clinical again: From a corner, the ball landed at the feet of right back Sean Klaiber and he struck a 20-yard shot in off the post to make it 2-0 – Hradecky did not stand a chance (35').

Shortly after that, the Bayer 04 striker Kevin Volland found himself in a one-on-one with the keeper Paes but he was able to block the shot (40'). That was the last action of the Utrecht shot-stopper. Paes also had to go off injured before half-time. His place between the posts was taken by Fabian De Keijzer on 42 minutes. The end of the first half in 2020 ended exactly on 45 minutes with the Werkself 2-0 down.

Havertz and Volland score

The Dutch side carried on after the restart where they left off in the first half: The striker Kerk was clinical with the first chance of the half when he scored to put his side 3-0 in the lead (51'). The Werkself replied three minutes later: Playmaker Kai Havertz netted a volley to make it 3-1 on 54 minutes. Kai had a chance to make it 3-2 but his shot went the wrong side of the left upright (69'). Volland, rounding off a move involving Sinkgraven and Diaby, scored the second for the Werkself (80').

The Werkself now pressed for the equaliser with Havertz the most impressive Werkself player on the pitch, almost levelling. But his effort from 16 yards out from a Sinkgraven pass went just wide of the target (83’). With the Black and Reds pressing forward, the decider then came: Utrecht's Eross Maddy (86') scored to give FC Utrecht a 4-2 lead.

Gaedicke involved in third goal

The final action of the game involved Havertz. The playmaker was involved in a good move that also involved substitute Leon Gaedicke along with Volland with Havertz curling the ball into the far corner on 90 minutes for the final score of 4-3 to the Dutch side. The referee blew full time on 90 minutes in spite of several substitutions and interruptions through injury.

Match stats:

Bayer 04: Hradecky – L. Bender (Gaedicke 72'), Tah, Retsos, Sinkgraven – Baumgartlinger, Amiri – Bellarabi, Havertz, Diaby – Volland

Utrecht: Paes (de Keijzer 42') – Klaiber, Janssen (Emanuelson 10'), van der Maarel (Hoogma 79'), Guwara (Culhaci 74’) – Maher (van Rooijen 16’), Gustafson, van Overeem – Kerk (Abbas 79’), Dalmau (Maddy 61’), van de Streek (Cerny 71’)

Goals: 0-1 Dalmau (17’), 0-2 Klaiber (35’), 0-3 Kerk (51’), 1-3 Havertz (54’), 2-3 Volland (80’), 2-4 Maddy (86’), 3-4 Havertz (90’)

Bookings: –

Attendance: 300