Germany had a less arduous task than Austria. Without Jonathan Tah and Florian Wirtz in the starting eleven, Germany produced a dominant performance and with 80 per cent possession they took an early lead. Leon Goretzka made it 1-0 on three minutes with an impressive move involving Joshua Kimmich and Serge Gnabry and a former Leverkusen player struck four minutes later. With build-up play from Leroy Sané, who was a Bayer 04 youth player from 2011 to 2013, Kai Havertz doubled the lead.
The picture changed slightly after the break: The visitors from Iceland were more defensive at the start but they did not pose a real threat to the German team in black. Ilkay Gündogan scored the third goal on 55 minutes. Jonathan Tah and Florian Wirtz did not play.
Aleksandar Dragovic was on the pitch for 90 minutes. Austria twice took the lead in Glasgow through Stuttgart’s Sasa Kalajdzic but the Scots were able to level twice. The game ended all square at 2-2.
The Leverkusen trio are back in action in World Cup qualifiers on Sunday 28 March. While Germany with Jonathan Tah and Florian Wirtz face Romania in Bucharest, Austria with Aleksandar Dragovic play the Faroe Islands in Vienna. Both games kick off at 20.45 CEST.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended midfielder Noah Mbamba’s contract by twelve months and sent the Belgian U21 international on loan to France. At FC Lorient, the 21-year-old – whose contract at Leverkusen now runs to 30 June 2029 – is set to gain playing time in Ligue 1 and, through strong performances and further development, put himself in the running for a future place in the Werkself squad.
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Spurred on by a flawless hat-trick from Cornelia Kramer, the Bayer 04 women’s team won their penultimate pre-season friendly in commanding fashion. As part of the season launch, the Werkself beat Dutch top-flight side Feyenoord 7–0. In front of 3,000 spectators at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium, Kramer (6’, 25’, 45’), Sofie Zdebel (47’), Maja Sternad (59'), Natasha Kowalski (83') and Vanessa Fudalla (86') scored the goals for coach Roberto Pätzold’s side.
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The Shareholders’ Committee of Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH has extended the contracts of the two managing directors, Fernando Carro and Simon Rolfes, ahead of schedule. The CEO, Fernando Carro (62), will continue in his role until 30 June 2029, and managing director sport Simon Rolfes (44) will remain in post until 30 June 2031.
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There’s plenty for Bayer 04 fans to enjoy both on and off the pitch at the official 2026 season launch. In addition to the women’s team taking on Feyenoord at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium at 13:15 CEST and the men’s team facing Sevilla at the BayArena at 15:30 CEST, fans of all ages can enjoy a range of activities – and get to meet Bayer 04 players and former players in the process. The Fanwelt is also offering a special promotion: buy a new shirt and get free printing! Here’s an overview of everything you need to know about the season launch, including the live streams.
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