As the seven-day infection rate in Leverkusen is at 20.1 (as at 25 September, 00.00 CEST), the meeting with Leipzig will be played in front of 6,000 spectators. "It's a further step in the right direction and great for the players," declared head coach Peter Bosz ahead of match number 1,400 for the Werkself in the Bundesliga (700 home games).
The Dutchman is expecting the side from Saxony to be a "very good team. They were in the semi-finals of the Champions League for a good reason. They have a top squad even without Timo Werner and are a big rival for us." That makes it even more important against RB to build on the positive home stats from this calendar year. The Werkself have won an impressive six out eight Bundesliga home games in 2020 (two defeats).
Following on from goalkeeper Lennart Grill (FC Kaiserslautern) and Patrik Schick (AS Roma), Bosz and Co. welcomed summer signing number three in the middle of the week. Right back Santiago Arias (Atlético Madrid) has signed a one-year deal with Bayer 04 having the option to buy the loanee. The Colombian is also not an unknown quantity for head coach Bosz. During his time as a coach in the Dutch Eredivisie, the 56-year-old often came up against Arias as he played for PSV Eindhoven for five years. "He was very attacking with that top team in the Eredivisie. During his time at Atlético he was able to learn much more about defending under Diego Simeone," Bosz said with conviction. "He's a complete player and fits in really well with us."
The Dutchman left open the question of whether Arias will be in the squad against Leipzig – as he also did with the prospect of other new signings. Bosz: "We are continually looking to strengthen the squad – but the players have to have quality. Otherwise it doesn't make any sense."
As with Arias, it remains to be seen whether Leon Bailey will be in the squad. The 23-year-old only returned from self-isolation in Jamaica at the start of the week. Paulinho is definitely ruled out as he continues his rehab following his torn cruciate. All the other Werkself players will be in a position to experience the Bundesliga atmosphere in front of fans at the BayArena on Saturday…
Match information:
Broadcasters: Sky and Werks11 Radio (bayer04.de)
Referee: The match officials will be announced on the day of the game
Attendance: 6,000
Exciting experiences and exclusive insights into the Werkself and the BayArena awaited the young footballers from the BA04 Football Academy Guangzhou in China during their visit to the Rhineland this week. As well as taking part in a joint training session with the Bayer 04 Football Academy, the youngsters marvelled at the Bundesliga club’s stadium during a guided tour. The highlight of the visit was a private press conference with former Bayer 04 striker Stefan Kießling, during which he shared tips from his own career with the young players. On Saturday afternoon, 10 October, the group will round off their visit by supporting the Werkself in the away match in Mainz.
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Fun, games and promising talent: At the fourth Bayer 04 Junior Girls’ Talent Day at the Kurtekotten training centre, 90 football-mad girls had the chance to put themselves forward for the Werkself youth teams. During a 90-minute training session, children born between 2011 and 2019 had the chance to demonstrate their skills.
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Despite the international break, numerous Werkself fans turned up at the BayArena on Saturday 3 October. The occasion: Bayer 04, together with Bayer Vital and main sponsor BarmeniaGothaer, organised a Health Day. In the stadium’s Premium Lounge, guests listened to fascinating talks on the subject of cancer, featuring, amongst others, Bayer 04 record appearance holder Rüdiger Vollborn and former Werkself player Hans Sarpei. Afterwards, young and old alike enjoyed interactive stations such as a grip strength test and eye pupil test.
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In issue #56 of Werkself Magazine, Afonso Moreira offers some interesting insights into his home country, Portugal, as part of the ‘Sag mal’ (Tell me) feature. Among other things, the 21-year-old talks about his favourite places in the country on the Iberian Peninsula, the local cuisine and music, as well as heroes and historical figures beyond the world of football. ‘Sag mal’ with Afonso Moreira!
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