19 out of a possible 21 points in the Bundesliga, 14 of the last 16 games won: The Black and Reds have carried on where they left off at the beginning of March with two wins since the restart. "I was a little worried we'd lose our rhythm due to the coronavirus break," admitted head coach Peter Bosz at today's pre-match press conference but, at the same time, he said with relief: "To be honest, I have to say our players have recently been really good in putting our instructions into practice. Once again: Hats off to the lads."
It's one match after the next for the Werkself at the moment. Four games in 12 days are on the agenda. "The gap between matches is very short. With this run of games it's very important for us to control workloads so that all the players stay fit," explained Bosz who was today able to welcome Jonathan Tah (back problems) and Kevin Volland (ankle ligament) back to the training ground. "Afterwards we’ll see which players are available," added the 56-year-old.
One player, who in all probability will also face VfL, is Kerem Demirbay. The summer signing from TSG 1899 Hoffenheim produced impressive performances in the games against Werder Bremen and Borussia Mönchengladbach. Bosz: "It's taken a while with him. But that's normal when a player moves to a new club. Kerem has played very well in the second half of the season and he brings his quality to the pitch."
Bosz and Co. have only experienced games without fans away up till now. Tomorrow will be the first game for the Werkself behind closed doors at the BayArena. In the first two Bundesliga matchdays after the restart, the hosts have only won three matches. "I don't think that's a coincidence. It's easier for the away teams if there are no fans at the ground. Without fans, it's more down to the quality of the teams on the pitch," said Bosz who finished off with a comment on tomorrow's opponents: "It will be tough again against Wolfsburg – we'll have to give 100 per cent over 90 minutes and definitely set out to win the game in the end."
Match information:
Broadcasters: Sky and Werkself Radio (bayer04.de)
Referee: The referee will be announced on the day of the match.
A special afternoon at the Bayer 04 Football Academy autumn camp: At the Liga 20 indoor football centre, in the shadow of the BayArena, two Werkself women’s team players led a training session. Loreen Bender and Selina Ostermeier not only offered the young players advice and support, but also got stuck in themselves.
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Once the final whistle was blown, it was time to take a deep breath. 2-0 down and a 5–2 win in the end. It was a nerve-wracking affair against FC Nürnberg in the second round of the 2026–27 DFB Pokal. Jonas Hofmann said – “We didn’t let our heads drop” – hitting the nail on the head. Indeed, it was clear the Werkself were not prepared to accept elimination from the DFB Pokal. So they went on to score. The Black and Reds made their presence felt with a goal just before half-time, followed by four more in the second half. Or, to put it another way: Edmond Tapsoba’s first Bayer 04 brace, a clinical penalty from Patrik Schick, yet another precision strike from Hofmann and a blistering volley from Lucas Vázquez. Each goal more beautiful than the last! After the match, head coach Carles Martínez praised his team’s commitment above all else and the fact that they never lost belief in themselves. The Werkself review.
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Werkself-TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04's 5-2 win against 1. FC Nürnberg in the second round of the DFB-Pokal 2026/27...
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Bayer 04 came from 2-0 down to beat Nürnberg 5-2 in the second round of the 2026/27 DFB Pokal on Wednesday night. Edmond Tapsoba’s double either side of half-time sparked the turnaround, before Patrik Schick, Jonas Hofmann and Lucas Vázquez ensured progress to the last 16 for the 2024 cup winners.
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