In front of full house at the BayArena, Dortmund took the first chance of the game on five minutes. Niclas Füllkrug held up the ball and knocked it into the path of Julian Ryerson, who netted the early opener. After that, Bayer 04 dominated proceedings. Again and again Jeremie Frimpong advanced down the right flank to create openings – as on 20 minutes when Granit Xhaka hit a long-range shot just wide of the target. There were further opportunities to score, with the best coming in added time at the end of the first half. Once again Frimpong with a low cross that Florian Wirtz turned into the net, but referee Daniel Siebert ruled the goal out for offside against Victor Boniface in the build-up after the intervention of VAR. The Werkself were clearly the better side in the second 45 but were unable to make the most of good chances for Exequiel Palacios and Wirtz (61'). Patrik Schick came off the bench and his first move saw him square the ball to Boniface to score a deserved leveller at 1-1 (79'). The Werkself pressed to the end but were unable to score a winner. The match report.
Alonso’s assessment of the encounter: "It wasn't an easy game. We tried a lot after conceding. We didn't have any chances despite having loads of control. At half-time we said we had to change things round right way," said the Spaniard. "One point isn't bad, but it could have been more. It was a good test of patience after conceding the goal. We wanted to retain control despite going behind. It was a good lesson."
Xhaka said: "One side of you is disappointed, the other proud. Dortmund are aiming to be at the top and compete for the title. That once again shows we played a good game. The only negative is we didn't take our chances. But our plan went well today." The Switzerland international is now looking forward not back: "The point is important to us – remaining unbeaten obviously says a lot. Now the focus is on Wednesday. That's a completely different competition and it's all about going through."
The Süddeutsche Zeitung headline read: "Leverkusen are now established league leaders", and described the draw as: "Xabi Alonso's team dominated the top match against Dortmund but were only able to draw 1-1. Whether Bayer 04 can retain top spot depends on the rearranged game between Bayern and Union Berlin." The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported a "clearly defensive approach" in relation to Dortmund, adding: "No pressing, no being high up the pitch: BVB gained a point against Leverkusen with a brilliant interpretation of the classic strategy of an underdog." kicker talked about a Dortmund "underdog plan" and "massive Leverkusen superiority." The Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung adopted a similar position: "Dortmund pick up lucky point at Leverkusen."
Boniface found the back of the net in the Bundesliga again after a run of five league games without scoring and – having also struck in the Europa League away to Häcken – now has eight Bundesliga goals this season – the Nigeria international has never previously scored as many league goals up to this point of the season. Since records started being kept in 2004/05, only Diego was involved in more goals in his first 13 Bundesliga matches (14) than Boniface (13). Harry Kane has played 12 Bundesliga matches for Bayern and has already clocked up 23 goal involvements.
On top of that, Wirtz, after winning possession twice in the final third of the pitch, overtook VfB Stuttgart's Chris Führich (17) in the Bundesliga ranking of the most high turnovers (18).
The Werkself had 24 shots on goal to Dortmund’s six. Bayer 04 also had 68.4% possession and won 53% of all duels. Pass completion was 87% and 73% for BVB. Also impressive is the fact the Black and Reds have scored in each of their last 13 Bundesliga fixtures.
The next match at the BayArena is in three days with second division SC Paderborn the visitors in the DFB-Pokal round of 16 tie, with the kick-off at 18.00 CET. That is followed on Sunday 10 December (15.30) with an away game at VfB Stuttgart on Bundesliga Matchday 14.
Bayer 04 turned in a dominant performance in a 7-0 win against fifth-tier side Sportfreunde Baumberg in their first friendly ahead of the 2026/27 season. A brace from debutant Afonso Moreira (19', 27') either side of a Christian Kofane strike (23') put the Werkself 3-0 up in the first of the two 35-minute halves in Monheim am Rhein. After the break, Victor Boniface (49', 53'), Robert Andrich (56') and Nathan Tella (67') scored for the completely changed Leverkusen team. It was therefore a successful friendly debut for new head coach Carles Martínez and his team, although the hosts also had something to celebrate despite the defeat: the match marked the inauguration of Baumberg's new ground, the MEGA Stadion.
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Attention, Werkself fans: the new Away Matchday Collection is now available from the Bayer 04 online shop and the Fanwelt. It includes t-shirts, zip tops and jackets.
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Season tickets for the Werkself home matches in the new Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga season are now on general sale. The season ticket is valid for all 13 matches at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. The first home match will be played between 28 and 31 August against the runners-up, VfL Wolfsburg, followed by the clash with the German champions, Bayern Munich, between 11 and 14 September.
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A new team, a new environment, a new challenge—and yet one thing remains the same for Afonso Moreira: his attitude. Total dedication, discipline, and the drive to improve every day have defined the Portuguese player since his early days at Sporting CP. “Even back then, I realized I had to work hard to achieve my goals,” said the 21-year-old. His parents also instilled those values in him from a young age. Values that have driven him ever since, accompanied him to France when he signed for Lyon, and now also form the foundation for his new chapter at Bayer 04. At a media session, the lightning-fast winger spoke about his values, as well as his new teammates, the new coach, and his targets at the club.
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