In his debut in the dugout, new coach Xabi Alonso made one change to the line-up for the 2-0 defeat at Porto with Mitchel Bakker replacing Adam Hlozek. From the kick-off, the Werkself were tactically disciplined and on the front foot, mainly through Jeremie Frimpong and Moussa Diaby on the right flank. A goal from Charles Aránguiz on ten minutes was ruled out due to a foul by Piero Hincapie in the build-up but Diaby (38’) and Frimpong (41’) gave the Werkself a deserved two-goal lead going into the break. Frimpong made it 3-0 less than ten minutes after the restart to seal the result (53'). The scoring was rounded off by substitute Paulinho with his strike at 4-0 (90'). HERE is the match report.
"That was a step in the right direction. We were clinical with our goals," said goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky after the final whistle but he then made it clear: "But there’s still room for improvement." Robert Andrich backed up the Werkself skipper: "It was an important and necessary win and a good start. We are incredibly happy. But there is still a tough road ahead of us." Other statements from Moussa Diaby and Hradecky are HERE on Werkself TV.
Xabi Alonso summed up the performance of his team in his debut for the Black and Reds as follows: "We are happy. We didn't have much time but the players have seen how we want to play. It was a complete performance - offensively and defensively. The next important match is on Wednesday against Porto and there are areas that need improving."
One of the best players on the pitch was Jeremie Frimpong who was involved in lots of one-on-one challenges on the right flank, he was full of running – and he scored two of the four Leverkusen goals against Schalke 04. It was the second brace in the current Bundesliga season for the Netherlands U21 international: Frimpong scored twice in the 3-0 win at Mainz at the end of August.
Xabi Alonso also played Paulinho in his first match in charge at Bayer 04. The Brazilian forward came on as a sub on 88 minutes against the Royal Blues and scored two minutes later to make it 4-0. For the 22-year-old, it was the first appearance since 20 August.
A look at the stats underlines the clear margin of victory: The Werkself had 60% possession plus 54% of challenges won, a pass completion rate of over 87% (Schalke: 77%) plus 13 shots on goal (Schalke: 2).
That was the headline in the BILD Zeitung for their report on the match. And it continues: "Alonso's commitment works. Leverkusen were at it from the start and they prevented the defensive Schalke team gaining possession through accurate passing." The kicker talks of a "dream debut" for the Spaniard in the Bayer 04 dugout, the Rheinische Post of a "exemplary start." The RP awarded top marks to Jeremie Frimpong and Moussa Diaby.
The Werkself entertain Porto in the return match in Group B in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday 12 October (kick-off: 21.00 CEST). The Alonso team are then away to Eintracht Frankfurt three days later. The kick-off on Saturday 15 October is at 15.30 CEST.
After eight years in the youth set-up at Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Benjamin Adam is leaving the club. The 35-year-old, who most recently coached the Leverkusen U17s, will take charge of the Hansa Rostock U19 team next season.
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There was a successful end to the women's internationals with Werkself players Carlotta Wamser and Cornelia Kramer qualifying for the 2027 World Cup finals in Brazil. A third Leverkusen player is still in with a chance of joining them. The Germany U23 players also experienced success in their last two international friendlies of the season.
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Traveling to North America for the World Cup this summer to see your favorite Bayer 04 players? Here’s a quick cheat sheet with thumbnail portraits and insider tips for each city from a local expert, so you can make the most of your visit and activities beyond the game!
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A fresh look for the BayArena: The Bayer 04 stadium will have new seating in the form of folding seats for the 2026/27 campaign that will ensure significantly improved seating comfort and simplified movement within the rows of seats. As part of routine replacement after 17 years, fans of the Werkself were able to purchase the existing seats, used to witness the first German league title in the club's history. In addition, a large proportion of the seats will be donated to charitable projects, primarily in the local region. Bayer 04 fans can look forward to new, functional folding seats for the season opener at the beginning of August - still in the club colours of black and red, of course. A glimpse at the BayArena during the refurbishment.
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