Bayer 04 were on top from the kick-off in the game at the An der Alten Försterei Stadium. Borja Iglesias with a header turned over the bar by the Union keeper Frederik (15’), plus Alejandro Grimaldo, who put the ball wide of the post (28') from a Nathan Tella pass, had good chances to open the scoring. Bayer 04 remained patient and were rewarded in added time at the end of the first half. First, a foul by Robin Gosens brought a second yellow card and the Leverkusen winner stemmed from the resulting free kick. Odilon Kossounou put the ball in the back of the net but it was chalked off as Amine Adli was lying in an offside position. However, Union Berlin's Christopher Trimmel handled the ball from a Piero Hincapie shot that hit the post. VAR intervened and a penalty was awarded that Florian Wirtz converted to make it 1-0 (45+7'). The visitors continued to control proceedings and went on to secure the win. Bayer 04 keeper Lukas Hradecky was not seriously tested once.
"I'm very proud of my team. The game was typical for this season. We prepared well and went into the match with strong mentality," said Bayer 04 coach Xabi Alonso provided special praise for Nathan Tella: "Nathan played very well. He was important for us as he drew the second yellow card for Gosens. We have healthy competition in that position between Jerry and Nathan. That helps us enormously." On the general situation, the Werkself coach declared: "The situation is very good and perhaps we’ll be able to celebrate something on Sunday. But first there's the Europa League and our focus is fully on that." Granit Xhaka said: "Becoming the champions of Germany by such a distance shows what a season we've had. We'll do everything we can to seal it in front of our own fans."
Sporting managing director Simon Rolfes said looking forward to Sunday's game against Werder Bremen: "It's a wonderful opportunity and we worked hard for it. But first there's the Europa League." There were also compliments from the opponents. "You have to take your hat off to Leverkusen," said Union captain Christopher Trimmel. "It's great fun to watch them but no fun at all to play against them."
Reports on the Leverkusen victory in the media believe no doubts. "Coming champions are too strong for Union", is the view of the Berlin newspaper Tagesspiegel. "Title match point! Bayern need just one more win," reports the Bild am Sonntag. The reporter at the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger saw "a deserved hard-fought win." The Rheinische Post declares: "Bayer 04 Leverkusen are on the verge of winning the title. Werkself fans can start putting the champagne on ice – or beer or what ever seems suitable to toast the first German league title in the club's history."
Florian Wirtz is recognised for his skill on the pitch but he is also a reliable penalty taker on top. After the Germany international converted a penalty in the week in the 4-0 win against Fortuna Düsseldorf in the DFB-Pokal semi-final, he also beat the Union Berlin keeper Rönnow from the spot. It's noticeable how many goalscorers Bayer 04 have in their ranks. Victor Boniface, out injured for three months, leads the list of goalscorers at Leverkusen with ten followed by Alejandro Grimaldo (nine), Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz (both eight) plus Jonas Hofmann, Nathan Tella and Patrik Schick (all on five). This wide distribution of goals has been a reliable recipe for success for the Werkself this season.
Bundesliga match 28 unbeaten this season for the Black and Reds equals the record of Bayern Munich in the 2013/14 campaign. Bayer 04 have now gone 41 games without defeat across all competitions this term. An internal record is the 76 points the Werkself have collected so far that exceeds the 73 scored in the whole season in 1999/2000. And that's not the end of the records: Bayer 04 have now won nine Bundesliga games in succession for the first time in the club's history and another first is the seven away wins on the bounce.
Even though Bayer 04 can be crowned champions of Germany in the match against Werder Bremen on Sunday 14 April, the Werkself are fully focused on next Thursday (11 April) and the Europa League game against West Ham United. The quarter-final first leg at the BayArena against the Hammers kicks off at 21.00 CEST. The Bundesliga fixture against Werder is at 17.30 CEST on Sunday.
The United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) is celebrated worldwide on 3 December. Together with Bayer AG, Bayer 04 is once again setting an example for diversity and inclusion by lighting up the BayArena in purple in the evening.
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To celebrate the Werkself victory at Borussia Dortmund and to thank the fans for their fantastic support at the stadium and at home, Bayer 04 is reducing the price of all jerseys by up to 40 euros! What's more, player or customised printing is free with selection of the DFB Pokal badge and stylish Talcid sleeve logo. Special prizes will also be raffled among all purchasers. All promotions run exclusively on the Bayer 04 online shop until Wednesday, 3 December, 11:59 CET.
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For the second time in four days, Bayer 04 face Borussia Dortmund this Tuesday evening, 2 December (kick-off: 21:00 CET) - this time in the round of 16 of the DFB Pokal, with more than 7,000 fans supporting the Werkself at Signal Iduna Park. After the recent 2-1 defeat to BVB in the league, several cup stats provide hope of revenge for the Black and Reds. There are several reasons why Bayer 04 recommends getting to the round of 16 clash early, in which VAR will be in use, unlike in the previous rounds. Read on for further information on tonight’s game in our matchday news.
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Just three days on from the Bundesliga meeting in Leverkusen, Bayer 04 now visit Borussia Dortmund in the DFB Pokal on Tuesday (21:00 CET). Ahead of the game at the Signal Iduna Park, head coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke about how to approach this second encounter in 72 hours and a number of developments within the squad.
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