Xabi Alonso made three changes to the team that started Tuesday’s 1-0 win over AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League as Robert Andrich, Exequiel Palacios – making his first start of the season – and Jonas Hofmann came in for Piero Hincapie, Aleix Garcia and Amine Adli, who all dropped to the bench.
Sporting special-edition kits to mark the club’s 120th anniversary, Leverkusen raced out of the blocks at the BayArena as Boniface slotted home from the left after Exequiel Palacios’s flick into his path with only four minutes gone. Goalkeeper Timon Weiner then prevented a second from the Nigerian striker with a diving save barely 120 seconds later. But there was nothing the Kiel keeper could do when Palacios, who turned 26 today, then slipped in Hofmann, who found the far bottom corner with only eight minutes played. The Bundesliga champions were very much in control, with Alejandro Grimaldo and Andrich both having further opportunities, while Boniface also saw a third goal ruled out for offside on review. However, the promoted visitors made one of their very few first-half attacks count when Max Geschwill headed in a Lewis Holtby corner five minutes into added time.
The Werkself went looking for that third goal to restore their cushion after the break and had a few chances without making them count. Then with 70 minutes gone, Jermie Frimpong upended Armin Gigovic in the box to give Holstein a penalty, which Fiete Arp dispatched to level the game. Lukas Hradecky prevented a complete Kiel turnaround minutes later with a good save from a Benedikt Pichler header. The closing minutes were then all Leverkusen as they sought to reclaim the lead on the two-year anniversary of Alonso taking charge and in his 100th game at the helm, but for once there was to be no late goal for the Spaniard’s side.
Several Leverkusen players will now go off and join their national teams. After the international break, Bayer 04 resume with another home game against Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday, 19 October (3.30pm CEST).
Match stats:
Bayer 04: Hradecky - Tah, Andrich (Hincapie 70'), Tapsoba - Frimpong (Adli 77'), Xhaka, Palacios (Garcia 70'), Grimaldo - Hofmann (Terrier 60'), Wirtz - Boniface (Schick 70')
Holstein Kiel: Weiner - Ivezic, Erras, Geschwill - Becker, Holtby (Remberg 85'), Knudsen, Gigovic (Schulz 70'), Porath (Komenda 85') - Skrzybski (Pichler 46'), Machino (Arp 46')
Goals: 1-0 Boniface (4'), 2-0 Hofmann (8'), 2-1 Geschwill (45'+5), 2-2 Arp (pen, 70')
Yellow cards: Frimpong, Tah - Knudsen, Weiner
Referee: Robert Hartmann
Attendance: 30,210 (sold out) at the BayArena
Carolin Simon is the new captain of the Bayer 04 women’s team. The full-back, who joined from Bayern Munich in the summer, will take over the captain’s armband for the 2026/27 season. Simon returned to Leverkusen in the summer after ten years away. The 33-year-old succeeds goalkeeper Friederike Repohl, who retired at the end of last season.
Show more
Farid Alfa-Ruprecht is going out on loan from Bayer 04 Leverkusen to Bundesliga 2 side Hertha Berlin. The pacy winger will be at the Berlin club for one year.
Show more
Heading towards the competitive start of the 2026/27 season together: the Werkself kicked off preparations for the DFB Pokal clash at third-tier SV Wehen Wiesbaden with an open session in front of their fans on Tuesday morning. Before the first-round tie on Saturday 22 August at 13:00 CEST - for which the away section is already sold out - there'll be one more open session on Thursday from 11:00 CEST, when fans have another chance to watch head coach Carles Martínez's men at work.
Show more
Bayer 04 host RB Leipzig at the BayArena on matchday 4 of the 2026/27 Bundesliga season. The game is on Sunday 20 September with the kick-off at 15:30 CEST. The latest information on ticket sales.
Show more
