The game started with good tempo from both sides. Leverkusen in particular created a number of chances with good combination play. However, Patrik Schick, Robert Andrich and Jeremie Frimpong all passed up opportunities. It meant things were goalless going into the break. Kerem Demirbay then gave the Werkself a deserved lead just before the hour with a lovely finish from 20 yards. Yet it appeared to spur on the away side, with Ole Werner’s team starting to find their way through the Bayer 04 defence as the game wore on. And they eventually made the pressure tell when Veljkovic pounced after a corner with eight minutes on the clock. Substitute Sardar Azmoun struck the bar with a header right at the end, meaning it remained 1-1. Read more about the game in our REPORT.
Coach Seoane was not pleased with the result when speaking at the post-match press conference. He especially saw the poor chance conversion is key: “We saw different phases of the game, originally had control, created numerical advantages, but didn’t have good timing in the final third and in our shooting.” The 43-year-old added that the team was not “clinical and clear enough. We then didn’t manage to play predominantly in the opposition half, were too defensive instead of pushing forward more. We need to improve there.”
Andrich described the draw as “seriously disappointing” when talking to Werkself TV and agreed with the coach about the inability to take chances being the reason for the current form. “We had a very good first half, created lots of chances that we didn’t take.”
Demirbay also gave a similar assessment: “We’ve been behind on goals all season. It’s not a lack of heart, desire and passion. We’re putting in a lot. We need to keep going. Now we’ve got the international break.”
Seoane made just one change to his team from the 2-0 win at home to Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League. He went for a 4-2-3-1 formation with the in-form Frimpong replacing Adam Hlozek on the right wing. He was a constant threat with his pace down that side and could have put Leverkusen ahead on 39 minutes but missed from a few yards out.
There was also a special highlight before the game as club legend Lars Bender was officially unveiled as the Werkself’s honorary captain. It saw the former defender receive the official pennant from Fernando Carro and Simon Rolfes. The Nordkurve also produced an impressive tifo of black, white and red. You can see Bender’s reaction HERE.
The stats from the game also show both teams were neck and neck throughout the 90 minutes. They had 19 shots each, while the difference for challenges was also minimal, with the Werkself just edging that category on 51% won. Same for pass completion, where Leverkusen posted a rate of 82%; Werder just one point behind. It was only in possession where Bayer 04 forged ahead, seeing 54% of the ball.
Bild summarised the draw by saying: “Leverkusen at odds with their chance conversion as so often in the past.” The Rheinische Post praised Demirbay’s finish for the opening goal: “Demirbay’s wonderful goal provided the sporting highlight of the afternoon at the BayArena,” while describing the game over all with: “Leverkusen actually gave up a string of good chances before Demirbay’s curling effort gave them a 1-0 lead after around an hour. It meant Bremen were able to feed off their known strength and remain dangerous in the closing minutes.”
A total of 11 Leverkusen players are off with their national teams over the next week in Charles Aranguiz (Chile), Frimpong and Mitchel Bakker (both Netherlands U21s), Zidan Sertdemir (Denmark U19s), Schick and Hlozek (both Czech Republic), Lukas Hradecky (Finland), Odilon Kossounou (Ivory Coast), Azmoun (Iran), Edmond Tapsoba (Burkina Faso) and Piero Hincapie (Ecuador).
Seoane then takes his side to face Bayern Munich in two weeks. The champions are currently fourth in the Bundesliga after losing 1-0 to Augsburg on Saturday. They had previously drawn their last three league games. The fixture at the Allianz Arena is at 20:30 CEST on Friday, 30 September. The Werkself are then off to Porto in the Champions League on Tuesday, 4 October.
The Werkself have reached at least the semi-finals of the DFB Pokal in each of the last three years. The Black-and-Reds would like to make it to the final four of the competition again this season, but to do that they'll need to overcome 1. FC Nürnberg in round two, who travel to the BayArena with momentum following a successful league campaign so far. However, Bayer have a 100 percent record at home in all competitions this season - and have also won six of their last seven home matches in the Pokal. The Matchday News.
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Back at home in the second round of the 2026/27 DFB Pokal, Bayer 04 host FC Nürnberg at the BayArena. The match against the current second-placed side in Bundesliga 2 is on Wednesday 28 October at 20:45 CET. Ahead of the game, head coach Carles Martínez spoke, amongst other things, about his anticipation of the clash in front of a home crowd. The Spaniard also commented on a number of personnel matters, including Ibrahim Maza and Montrell Culbreath, plus the visitors’ coach, Miroslav Klose.
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Now in their third season under head coach Miroslav Klose, FC Nürnberg are among the promotion contenders in Bundesliga 2. On Wednesday 28 October (kick-off: 20:45 CET), the team currently second in the table are away to Bayer 04 in the second round of the DFB Pokal. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Werkself player Ibrahim Maza has been named in the top ten in the ‘Men’s Young Talent of the Year’ category for 2026. The 20-year-old was at the London Palladium on Monday evening for the 2026 Ballon d’Or awards ceremony. Fernando Carro, Bayer 04 CEO, also attended the ceremony. Lamine Yamal of Barcelona was named the winner in the ‘Men’s Young Talent of the Year’ category.
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Bayer 04 will have to manage without forward Moussa Diaby for their upcoming matches. The 27-year-old Frenchman sustained a thigh injury in the 3-0 defeat against TSG Hoffenheim yesterday afternoon, Sunday 25 October. Diaby is expected to be available again after the international break in November.
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