Head coach Kasper Hjulmand made three changes to the team that had started Tuesday’s 2-0 win at Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League as captain Robert Andrich, Edmond Tapsoba and Jonas Hofmann came in for Jarell Quansah, Jeanuel Belocian and Kofane.
After the early stages of the game had been played mainly in midfield, the Werkself had their first real chance of the game when Ernest Poku ran at speed with the ball towards the BVB goal, got past his man but then shot well wide. Shortly afterwards, Patrik Schick missed a through ball from Alejandro Grimaldo just ahead of the onrushing Gregor Kobel. Hofmann fired a low shot wide eight minutes later. The visitors repeatedly pressed high up the pitch, but Hjulmand’s men had the better chances and the majority of possession up to that point and subsequently took more control of the game. However, Dortmund scored with their first real chance when Daniel Svensson sent a long free-kick into the penalty area, where Anselmino rose highest and headed the ball into the goal with the help of the left post.
With no substitutions or changes to the momentum, Bayer 04 resumed where they’d left off in the second half. Malik Tillman had an opportunity when he headed an Aleix Garcia free-kick just wide of goal. Schick's attempt a minute later – also with a header – was saved by Kobel. There was then a dangerous header at the other end as Serhou Guirassy connected with a Julian Ryerson free-kick but put his attempt at a height where Mark Flekken could react from close range.
The next dangerous header did end up in the goal, though, as Fabio Silva, who had come on as a substitute, crossed into the middle to Adeyemi, who powerfully put the ball past Flekken. The Werkself responded to going 2-0 down with their next chance. However, Hofmann could only hit the crossbar. Set up by Felix Nmecha, Julian Brandt then missed the chance to make it 3-0 at the other end, with the former Leverkusen player shooting wide of the right-hand post. Hjulmand brought on Martin Terrier and Claudio Echeverri to breathe new life into the attack in the closing stages. Kofane had already come on earlier and reduced the deficit to 2-1 in the closing stages with a deft touch on an Ibrahim Maza cross. The Black and Reds pushed hard for the equaliser but were unable to find one.
Leverkusen are back in action in three days, this time in Dortmund, for their DFB Pokal round of 16 tie against BVB on Tuesday (21:00 CET). The next Bundesliga game is then away at Augsburg on Saturday (15:30).
Match stats:
Bayer 04: Flekken - Andrich (Quansah 88'), Badé, Tapsoba - Poku (Tella 88'), Maza, Garcia, Grimaldo - Hofmann, Tillman - Schick (Kofane 63')
Dortmund: Kobel - Anselmino, Anton, Schlotterbeck - Ryerson (Couto 80'), Nmecha (Bensebaini 90'), Sabitzer (Chukwuemka 90'), Svensson - Adeyemi (Bellingham 80'), Brandt - Guirassy (Silva 61')
Goals: 0-1 Anselmino (41'), 0-2 Adeyemi (65'), 1-2 Kofane (83')
Yellow cards: Tillman, Tapsoba, Garcia - Schlotterbeck, Ryerson, Silva, Couto
Referee: Tobias Welz
Attendance: 30,210 at the BayArena (sold out)
With 22 days to go until the start of the Bundesliga campaign, the Bayer 04 Women’s team have gained a fresh boost of confidence. In a friendly against Belgian top-flight side KRC Genk on Saturday afternoon, coach Roberto Pätzold’s team secured a 1–0 win. Lobke Loonen (20’) scored the winner for the Black and Reds at the Kurtekotten training centre.
Show more
A successful fourth preseason friendly ahead of the start of the training camp: The Werkself secured a 3-0 victory over Rot-Weiss Essen at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. The goals in what was a commanding and dominant performance by Leverkusen from the outset were scored by Ibrahim Maza (8'), Patrik Schick from the penalty spot (23’) and, in the second half, Montrell Culbreath with a header (79’). The team set off for their training camp in Blankenhain in the Weimarer Land region after the game.
Show more
Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personal Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month…
Show more
You have voted – your ‘Team of the Quarter-Century’ has been decided! This historic selection, covering the period from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2024, features honorary captains, Bundesliga champions, double winners and Champions League finalists. Edmond Tapsoba is the only player from the current Bayer 04 squad to make it into the starting XI, while his team-mate Patrik Schick is on the bench. Simon Rolfes, the current managing director sport, is also in the lie-up. A truly special team that brings together a quarter of a century of Bayer 04 history – and has left a decisive mark on the club.
Show more
Following Patrik Schick, Mark Flekken, Ibrahim Maza and Kerim Alajbegovic earlier this week, the next World Cup participant is back on the training ground in Leverkusen: On Thursday 30 July, Malik Tillman rejoined the squad, completing his first training session under head coach Carles Martínez.
Show more
