The strategy of the Werkself head coach against the newcomers: Build on the good result and good performance in the 1-0 win at Mönchengladbach. "It was very important for the team for us to win there. You could see that in training during the week – the mood was completely different straightaway. But now it's important for us to carry on in exactly the same way," declared the Dutchman on Friday. The target: "We want to, and have to, win again against Bielefeld." That will need his team to produce the same energy and team performance as in the victory against Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Good news about the Black and Red injury list: Recently sidelined Sven Bender returned to training alongside his teammates for the first time on Friday morning. The experienced defender could be in the line-up against DSC. Whether Florian Wirtz is an option after his positive coronavirus test remains to be seen. Bosz on the young forward: "He's doing very well and he trained on his own today. After tomorrow's final pre-match training session, we'll decide whether he’ll be ready for the squad on Sunday."
Arminia have played two games under new coach Frank Kramer. The successor to Uwe Neuhaus secured a 0-0 draw in the first match against Union Berlin. In Wednesday's rearranged game, Bielefeld did lose 2-0 to the visitors from Bremen but produced a decent performance, particularly before the break.
"It's possible there's new energy due to the new coach. Their game has changed a little and they are a bit more direct and get forward quicker," said Bosz. "However, it's still the same team. We've watched their games and know what to expect."
At the virtual press conference, the members of the media also talked about the Europa League away game at Rangers (3-1). It is exactly one year ago since the last match in front of a full house. And Bosz has thought about the match at the sold-out Ibrox several times over recent days: "We knew before kick-off that it might be the last game in front of a crowd for a while. This year has gone by incredibly quickly, with lots of games – but also unfortunately without our fans. I hope it will soon be possible to play in front of them again."
Match information:
Broadcasters: DAZN and Werks11 Radio
Referee: The match officials will be announced on the day of the game
This special event showed once again how strong Bayer 04 are as a team: As part of ‘BarmeniaGothaer gives joy’, the Werkself players Edmond Tapsoba, Ibrahim Maza and Christian Kofane supported the sale of individually designed T-shirts for a good cause at the Fanwelt on Thursday. Several hundred fans came to take part in the charity campaign. Leverkusen's main sponsor BarmeniaGothaer donated the proceeds to the Fondation Edmond Tapsoba, which helps people in Tapsoba's home country of Burkina Faso in their challenging everyday lives.
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With three games to play before the end of the season, the Bayer 04 Women can break one record and equal another at SGS Essen. After three wins on the bounce, coach Roberto Pätzold's team are aiming to maintain the chance of third place in Sunday’s away game (14:00 CEST, Stadion an der Hafenstraße).
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From Ouagadougou to Leverkusen – and back: in March, Bayer 04 travelled with Edmond Tapsoba for a special project in his homeland Burkina Faso. The country where his roots and heart lie. The country where he’s more than a world-class defender: a symbol of hope and a role model for an entire generation. The result is a 45-minute documentary about Tapsoba’s long journey from Africa via Portugal to Leverkusen, which offers extraordinary, one-off and emotional insights.
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Edmond Tapsoba has signed an early extension to his contract with Bayer 04 Leverkusen. With two years left on his current deal, the 27-year-old Burkina Faso international has extended his contract until 30 June 2031. The centre-back joined as a young talent from Portuguese top-flight club Vitoria Guimaraes at the start of 2020.
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A special surprise: during the preview for the 'Fierté Burkinabè' documentary about Edmond Tapsoba, Bayer 04 directors Fernando Carro and Simon Rolfes announced Tapsoba's contract extension until 2031 together with the centre-back. He then spoke to Werkself-TV about his time in Leverkusen so far and future ambitions...
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