Bosz restricted his analysis of the home defeat against the Wolves. “If you saw the game then you have to say that Wolfsburg were better in all areas. For us, that means; forget it and move on. We briefly discussed the game against Wolfsburg and then focused on Freiburg,” said the Dutchman at today’s pre-match press conference.
A positive aspect of the current crowded fixture list (4 games in 12 days) is the chance for the Werkself to make amends. “After defeats, it’s always good for players if the next game comes quickly,” Bosz explained. “Now it’s down to us to show that it was actually just one bad game.”
The Werkself take on the team in eighth place in the Bundesliga. The team coached by Christian Streich drew 3-3 in an action-packed game at Eintracht Frankfurt. Bosz sees the quality of Freiburg primarily in their positional play and ability to play quickly on the break after winning possession. “And they’ve got a great mentality,” added the 56-year-old. That makes it even more important to remember the team’s own strengths. Bosz: “We always start by looking at how we want to approach the game. With this tight fixture list and the way we play, it’s important to have players on the pitch who are fully fit.”
Skipper Lars Bender is still unable to rejoin the matchday squad due to his foot injury. “He’s not an option for tomorrow,” Bosz reported. Other late changes are possible due to the short time available to recover after the Wolfsburg game. The Dutchman continued: “Football is a contact sport where you can always get a couple of knocks that you don’t feel during games – but you do two days later. Not everybody can cope with the short breaks, particularly where our game is very physically demanding.”
Match information:
Broadcasters: DAZN, Amazon Prime Video and Werkself Radio (bayer04.de)
Referee: The referee will be announced on the day of the game
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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