Compared with the side in the win on penalties against VfB Stuttgart in the Supercup, head coach Xabi Alonso made five changes to his starting line-up. Jonathan Tah, Jeremie Frimpong, Alejandro Grimaldo, Florian Wirtz and Jonas Hofmann came into the side. In front of a full house at Borussia Park, the champions of Germany started with a high press and lots of possession – and they were rewarded with a fantastic finish on twelve minutes.
A cross from Frimpong was deflected by a Mönchengladbach player out of the penalty area where Granit Xhaka was ready to fire the ball into the top left corner from 20 metres out – the lead and the first league goal for the Werkself. Shortly after that, Victor Boniface went close with a shot that hit the bar (18'). Two minutes later, the Gladbach keeper Jonas Omlin saved a Tah header on the line and then Lukas Hradecky was forced to make a save from a powerful shot from Tim Kleindienst (21').
And the big chances kept coming: Edmond Tapsoba hit a long-range effort against the top corner of the goal post – the second time Bayer 04 hit the woodwork on the night. A period of pressure followed from the hosts and they created a number of chances but the next goal came at the other end: Wirtz provided a clinical finish from close range to make it 2-0 (38'). New signing Tim Kleindienst appeared to have scored for the Foals but referee Robert Schröder ruled it out after the intervention of VAR for a foul on Piero Hincapie. The Werkself took a 2-0 lead into half-time.
There were no changes at the break with little action in either penalty area several minutes in to the second 45 but then Borussia’s Niko Elvedi scored from close range on the hour mark to make it 2-1. Shortly after that, Xabi Alonso brought on fresh legs up front in the shape of Bundesliga debutant Martin Terrier. Aleix Garcia and Amine Adli also came off the bench in the final stages with Garcia on the pitch for his first Bundesliga match. For a long time it looked like a 2-1 away win for the Werkself but Kleindienst equalised for Gladbach at 2-2 on 85 minutes. But it wasn't all over.
Ten minutes of added time at Borussia Park began with an effort from Grimaldo with a shot to the top corner (90+1') – and ended with the winner for Bayer 04. Eleven minutes into added time referee Schröder awarded a penalty after consulting the video screen. Wirtz stepped up and the Gladbach keeper Omlin saved his spot kick but he was able to put the rebound into the back of the net to give the Black and Reds the first three points in the 2024/25 Bundesliga campaign.
The Werkself are next in action in the DFB Pokal: The German double winners are away to Regional League FC Carl Zeiss Jena in the first round. The tie at the Ernst Abbe Sportfeld on Wednesday, 28 August kicks off at 18.30 CEST. Three days later there is a top match at the BayArena on the Saturday night. The opponents are RB Leipzig with the kick-off at 18.30 CEST.
Match stats:
Borussia Mönchengladbach: Omlin - Scally, Itakura, Elvedi, Netz (Chiarodia 90+4’) - Weigl, Reitz (Sander 71’) - Honorat (Lainer 90+4’), Stöger, Plea (Cvancara 71’) - Kleindienst (N'Goumou 90+4’)
Bayer 04: Hradecky - Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie - Frimpong, Xhaka, Andrich (Garcia 81’) - Grimaldo - Hofmann (Terrier 65’), Wirtz - Boniface (Adli 81’)
Goals: 0-1 Xhaka (12’), 0-2 Wirtz (38’), 1-2 Elvedi (60’), 2-2 Kleindienst (85’), 2-3 Wirtz (90+11’)
Booked: Lainer
Referee: Robert Schröder (Hannover)
Attendance: 54,042 (sold out) at Borussia Park
The European jersey has been launched, the UEL opponents have been drawn – and anticipation for the European campaign is running high. To mark the occasion, an autograph session was held on Friday afternoon, 28 August, at the Fanwelt with current Werkself player Montrell Culbreath and official club legend Paulo Sergio.
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On Friday afternoon, it will be decided which eight of the 36 participating teams Bayer 04 will face in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League in 2026/27. At the draw in Monaco (live on UEFA.com), the Werkself will be drawn against two teams from each of the four pots, allocated according to the UEFA club coefficient. A match against an opponent from the same country is ruled out, as is facing more than two clubs from the same national association. Here’s a look at the pots and potential opponents.
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After six and a half years, Exequiel Palacios is leaving the Bundesliga and moving from Bayer 04 to the Premier League. The Argentine, who as a Werkself player won the World Cup with his national team four years ago and finished as runners-up at this summer’s tournament, will play for newly promoted English side Ipswich Town with immediate effect. The 27-year-old, whose contract in Leverkusen was due to run until 30 June 2030, joined Bayer 04 in January 2020 as a promising young talent. He steadily developed into one of the best defensive midfielders in the German top flight.
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When Exequiel Palacios moved from the Argentinian club River Plate to Bayer Leverkusen on 1 January 2020, the then 21-year-old could not have imagined just how successful the next six and a half years would be for him. Pala, as he is known, had already won the Copa Libertadores – the most prestigious competition in South American club football – with River Plate. But there were still so many more trophies to come.
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