Back
21.07.2023Bayer 04

Werkself lose first pre-season friendly 2-1 against Paderborn

Bayer 04 were beaten 2-1 by Paderborn in their first friendly match of 2023/24 pre-season. Sardar Azmoun put Xabi Alonso’s side ahead on 40 minutes, but the Bundesliga 2 team equalised on the stroke of half-time. They took the lead after 58 minutes, with Leverkusen unable to muster a response.
crop_20230721_JS_B04SCP_Testspiel_1345.jpg

Alonso handed debuts to summer signings Alejandro Grimaldo, Jonas Hofmann and Granit Xhaka. Alongside captain Lukas Hradecky, the starting XI also featured Jeremie Frimpong, Edmond Tapsoba, Odilon Kossounou, Exequiel Palacios, Florian Wirtz, Amine Adli and Azmoun in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Azmoun opens before half-time equaliser

The crowd of roughly 1,890 saw the Werkself start strong in their newly released away strip for the coming campaign. The first chance of the game fell to Adli from Xhaka with eight minutes gone, but it was saved. Moments later, Hofmann delivered a teasing cross into the box, but nobody could get on the end of it.

crop_20230721_JS_B04SCP_Testspiel_1172.jpg

Then Paderborn carved out their first chance, which Hradecky turned behind for a corner. The second division club had the ball in the back of the net from the subsequent set piece, but referee Nico Fuchs signalled offside. A chip from Palacios and a free-kick from Grimaldo midway through the first half came close to putting Leverkusen ahead.

The Werkself finally got the first goal of the day when a through ball from Tapsoba found Azmoun, who finished into the bottom right corner to open Bayer 04’s account for 2023/24. Paderborn responded in the 45th minute, however, with a long-range effort from Florent Muslija.

crop_20230721_JS_B04SCP_Testspiel_1381.jpg

Paderborn opened the second half with another attempt from distance that went just wide. Although substitute Adam Hlozek almost restored the advantage for Leverkusen, it was the opposition who struck next when a cross from the left found Filip Bilbija.

The Werkself pushed for an equaliser of their own but were unable to find a way through an assured Paderborn defence. Nadiem Amiri almost did it with 10 minutes to go but fired narrowly wide as Bayer 04 slipped to a 2-1 defeat but learned some valuable lessons in the first game of pre-season.

Training camp in Austria

Alonso and his team head off to their training camp in Saalfelden, Austria on Sunday, 23 July. They will then go directly to San Sebastian in Spain on Friday, 28 July for the second friendly against Champions League qualifiers Real Sociedad. The game on Saturday, 29 July kicks off at 18:00 CEST at the Estadio Reale Arena.

Match stats: 

Bayer 04: Hradecky (Pentz 45') - Frimpong (Puerta 65'), Tapsoba (Fosu-Mensah 73'), Kossounou (Monamay 45'), Grimaldo (Bäuerle 65') - Palacios (Mbamba 45'), Xhaka (Marsenic 73') - Hofmann (Arthur 45'), Wirtz (Demirbay 45'), Adli (Amiri 45') - Azmoun (Hlozek 45')

Paderborn: Huth - Schuster, Musliu, Hoffmeier - Curda, Klefisch (Hansen 72'), Rohr, Ezekwem - Kinsombi, Bilbija, Muslija

Goals: 1-0 Azmoun (40'), 1-1 Muslija (45'), 1-2 Bilbija (58')

Yellow card: Musliu

Referee: Nico Fuchs

Attendance: 1,890 at the IMS Arena in Velbert

Related News

DFB-Pokal-Achtelfinale der Frauen
Women - 16.10.2025

DFB Pokal: Women away to Hamburger SV in Round of 16

The date for the Bayer 04 Women's DFB Pokal Round of 16 tie has been set. As announced by the German Football Association (DFB) on Wednesday, the Leverkusen Women will play league rivals Hamburger SV on Sunday, 16 November at 15:00 CET.

Show more
Ben Seghir
Bayer 04 - 16.10.2025

Vote now: Eliesse Ben Seghir nominated for 2025 Golden Boy award

A great honour for Eliesse Ben Seghir: The Italian sports newspaper Tuttosport has published the final shortlist of 25 nominees for this year's Golden Boy award - including Werkself player Eliesse Ben Seghir. The award will be presented in November.

Show more
Sean und Marc Landwehr
eSports - 16.10.2025

#B04eSports: Marc and Sean Landwehr interview before the start of the VBL-CC season

They narrowly missed out on the title in the spring of this year as they enjoyed their most successful season to date under the Bayer Cross. Now they want to build on that success. In an interview ahead of today's start of the new season in the VBL Club Championship by WOW (live on the Bayer 04 app from 18:00 CEST), the two Bayer 04 eSports players and cousins Marc and Sean Landwehr talk about the organisational changes to the VBL CC and their everyday lives as professional gamers and they also give pro tips for the new EA FC 26.

Show more
Sarco gegen Kolumbien
Bayer 04 - 16.10.2025

U20 World Cup: Sarco and Argentina through to final

A Black and Red player in the U20 World Cup final in Chile. Alejo Sarco and Argentina beat Colombia 1-0 in the semi-final on Wednesday night. Morocco, who knocked out France, now await in the final on Sunday night.

Show more