Werkself review #FCUB04: Huge effort goes unrewarded

Summary: Early Union goal changes course of the match

The home side had the first chance of the game on Saturday afternoon at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei, but Andrej Ilic was unable to convert a cross (2'). In a generally uneventful encounter, the Werkself initially showed little imagination in attack. The Irons, on the other hand, stood firm and were rewarded after 28 minutes: A long ball found Rani Khedira up front and he beat Robert Andrich before lobbing the ball over keeper Janis Blaswich into the net for the opener for the only goal in the first 45. The Werkself initially found it difficult to put their own stamp on the game in the second half. Kasper Hjulmand reacted by making three substitutions: The introduction of Patrik Schick, Ernest Poku and Lucas Vázquez gave the Black and Red attacking play a new dynamic, but no goals were scored. Schick had the best opportunity in the second minute of added time, but that attempt also failed to find the back of the net.

• Match report
• Match highlights

Reaction: "The goal we conceded made the difference"

Andrich had the following to say to the media after the match: "The game as expected had no real rhythm, lots of interruptions, long balls and definitely, unfortunately, a mistake from me. I was in a good position at first, anticipated the long ball, but then I get in front of him, underestimated the situation and he went past me. That's clearly my fault. That's how you alter the game in a certain direction." The captain added: "Now we have to focus on not losing our heads even in difficult situations. That has always made us strong in the past."

Goalkeeper Janis Blaswich said: "I think we tried everything in the end. It definitely wasn't down to mentality or a lack of determination. Our opponents sat very deep in the second half, but we still tried to play through them. We didn't really give much away. They're a tricky team to play against. We knew what we were up against. Now we have to move on quickly."

Kasper Hjulmand drew a similar conclusion at the post-match press conference: "We knew it would be a difficult game. It's not easy to play here. We actually played a decent game. That goal we conceded made a big difference because they then sat very deep and we knew they would defend very well. In the end, we lacked the luck, the final quality touch. But it's done now. Of course, we're disappointed but we have to quickly put this game behind us. There are other important tasks ahead of us."

• Post-match reaction
• Post-match press conference

What the papers say: "A first defeat after more than four weeks"

The Rheinische Post assessment: "Bayer Leverkusen lost a game for the first time in more than four weeks. In the 1-0 defeat at FC Union Berlin, coach Kasper Hjulmand's team lacked penetration". The kicker wrote: "The omens were clear, but ultimately that meant nothing. Union Berlin won a Bundesliga match for the first time in 2026 and stopped Bayer Leverkusen's unbeaten run at the same time". The Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger headline: "Bayer 04 suffer bitter blow shortly before crucial challenge in the Champions League."

Personnel: Garcia landmark

Aleix Garcia made his 50th Bundesliga appearance at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei on Saturday afternoon and he was also the player with the most touches of the ball in this match. Afterwards, the Spaniard told Werkself TV: "Even though I wasn't able to crown this (50th Bundesliga game, ed) with a win today, I'm still looking forward to many more games to come."

Stats: Goalless despite more chances

At the end of the match, the stats showed the Werkself had 16 to 8 shots on goal and 65 per cent possession. Pass completion was 86 per cent (Union: 74 per cent), and the Black and Reds won half of all duels.

Next up: Two home games in two competitions

Bayer 04 first face Olympiacos in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League play-off at the BayArena on Tuesday, 24 February (kick-off: 21:00 CET). Four days later on Saturday, 28 February (kick-off: 15:30 CET), the Werkself host FSV Mainz 05 on Bundesliga matchday 24.