
After two defeats in succession, Chile got back on track in the race to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with Bayer 04 midfielder Charles Aránguiz in the side. La Roja beat closest rivals Bolivia 3-2. The matchwinner was Inter Milan's Alexis Sánchez with a brace. Aránguiz was substituted on 67 minutes.
Chile are now sixth in the South American qualifying group with a two-point gap to the play-off place of fifth and three to fourth spot, which would qualify them directly for the World Cup. The last two crucial matches will be played at the end of March. Aránguiz and Co. will face the already qualified Brazil, currently top of the group, as well as fourth-placed Uruguay.
The situation for Ecuador is much more relaxed: The team including Werkself player Piero Hincapie secured a 1-1 draw in Peru overnight and the Leverkusen defender again went the full distance. The result means they are still in third place and, with two games to go, they are four points above the play-off spot of fifth.
At the end of March, Hincapie and Co. play Paraguay, who have no chance of qualifying for the World Cup, as well as already qualified Argentina.

Werkself player Montrell Culbreath and Bayer 04 loanee Francis Onyeka are part of Germany's final squad for the U19 European Championships this summer. The tournament is in Wales from 24 June to 12 July.
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Bayer 04 are away to third-division club SV Wehen Wiesbaden in the first round of the 2026/27 DFB Pokal. That was the outcome of the draw on Saturday night, 6 June, at the German Football Museum in Dortmund. The Werkself first round tie will be played between 21 and 24 August. The exact date has yet to be finalised.
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Carles Martìnez is raring to go. The 42-year-old speaks in his first interview in Leverkusen about the club's development to date and how he wants to build on it. He describes his previous work in France, Kuwait, Qatar and his native Barcelona, his experience in developing young players, and the key steps between now and the start of pre-season training.
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New Bayer 04 head coach Carles Martínez has arrived in Leverkusen! At midday on Friday, the 42-year-old spoke in a press conference at the BayArena about his philosophy and his aims. Managing director sport Simon Rolfes also discussed the reasons for appointing the former Toulouse boss.
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