The first Bayer 04 players involved in this year's pan-European Championship were the Finns Lukas Hradecky and Joel Pohjanpalo, who was on loan at Union Berlin last season. The Eagle Owls faced Denmark in Copenhagen. However, the first match for Finland in a major football tournament was dominated by a shocking incident on the pitch.
The Danish world-class player Christian Eriksen collapsed a few minutes before the half-time whistle and he had to be resuscitated on the pitch. The midfielder with the Italian champions Inter Milan is now in a stable condition. Eriksen sounded the all clear himself from hospital saying "I feel better." Bayer 04 wish him a full and speedy recovery.
After an interruption of almost two hours, with the Danish players in contact with Eriksen, the game continued. Over the course of the second half, the two Leverkusen players played a decisive role on the pitch at the Parken Stadium: Pohjanpalo headed the opening goal on 59 minutes and a quarter of an hour later Hradecky saved a penalty from Denmark's Pierre-Emile Höjbjerg – to secure the three points. Finland held on to the 1-0 scoreline in the closing minutes. Russia are their next opponents on Wednesday, 16 June (kick-off:15.00 CEST)
Aleksandar Dragovic and Julian Baumgartlinger started the Euro 2020 finals exactly 24 hours after their teammates. The Leverkusen duo were with Austria in Bucharest for the game against Euro newcomers North Macedonia who proved to be a hard nut to crack. Attacking stalwart Goren Pandev equalised on 28 minutes after Austria full-back Stefan Lainer opened the scoring (18'). The two sides went into the break with a surprising 1-1 scoreline.
Dragovic did not reappear for the second half after suffering a cut from an elbow in the first 45. The 30-year-old, who will be playing for Red Star Belgrade next season, was able to enjoy the deserved victory from the sidelines. Michael Gregoritsch (78’) and Mark Arnautovic (89') sealed the first-ever European Championship finals win for Austria.
Good news: Baumgartlinger, sidelined for four months following a cruciate operation at the end of January, came on in added time. The 33-year-old took the captain's armband. A nice moment at the end of a successful Euro 2020 opening match for Austria. Baumi, Drago and Co. are back in action against the Netherlands on Thursday, 17 June (kick-off: 21.00 CEST).
The Czech Republic started the new Euro 2020 week against Scotland with the Werkself centre forward Patrik Schick in the line-up. Only a quarter of an hour had gone in the match in Glasgow when our number 14 had a great chance. But the Scotland keeper David Marshall made the save.
The Bayer 04 striker was clinical shortly before the half-time whistle: Schick converted a cross from the right with an excellent header to open the scoring on 42 minutes. And it got even better on this afternoon! Seven minutes after the restart, Schick saw that Marshall was a long way out of his goal. The Czech front man tried his luck from the halfway line and doubled the scoreline at 2-0 from almost 50 yards out – a stroke of genius.
His intention of, "supporting the team on the pitch with as many goals as possible", has been put into practice early on in the tournament by the Leverkusen forward. And one thing is certain: Schick will again be keen to score against the Croats on Friday, 18 June (kick-off: 18.00 CEST)...
Bayer 04 Leverkusen will to have manage without forward Eliesse Ben Seghir. The Morocco international suffered a ligament injury in his left ankle before the AFCON final defeat against Senegal (0-1 a.e.t.).
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The VBL Club Championship 2025/26 continues. Tonight, 27 January (live on Twitch and on the Bayer 04 app from 18:00 CET), the Leverkusen eSports team will play the remaining three matches in the online preliminary round of Showdown Four. They are up against FC Kaiserslautern, SC Freiburg and the current club champions and Showdown Three winners RB Leipzig, with whom Bayer 04, club runners-up and Showdown One winners, shared some memorable moments, especially last year. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have signed Swiss goalkeeper Jonas Omlin from Borussia Mönchengladbach. The 32-year-old joins the Werkself from the Lower Rhine Bundesliga club on loan to the end of the current season. This is the reaction of Bayer 04 to the injury to first choice keeper Mark Flekken, who faces a long spell on the sidelines.
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Welcome to Leverkusen, Jonas Omlin. Bayer 04 have signed the 32-year-old goalkeeper on loan from Bundesliga side Borussia Mönchengladbach until the end of the season. Managing director sport Simon Rolfes described the Swiss shot stopper, signed by the Werkself in reaction to the long-term absence of first choice keeper Mark Flekken, as an "internationally experienced keeper." Bayer04.de takes a closer look at the new signing, who will wear the number 18 jersey.
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Lucas Vázquez was the hero in Saturday's 1-0 home win against Werder Bremen, when the Spaniard scored his first Bundesliga goal to secure an important victory for Leverkusen. The 34-year-old right-sided recently met up with the Werkself magazine for an interview in the Düsseldorf restaurant Casa Galicia after the first few months of settling in to his new home in Germany. Over tapas, the five-time Champions League winner, who left Real Madrid in the summer after 18 years to continue his career at Bayer 04, spoke about his career to date, the new challenge in Leverkusen and the importance of family - and he paid a big compliment to the fans of his new club.
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