Xabi Alonso made seven changes to his team from the dramatic win over Qarabag, and the Werkself got off to the perfect start when Florian Wirtz’s solo run and curling finish into the far corner got the 3,400 travelling Bayer 04 fans celebrating inside two minutes at the Europa-Park Stadion. The joy was only short-lived, though, as Ritsu Doan levelled after 10 minutes. Things calmed down after that until the final stages of the half when Adam Hlozek restored the lead going into the break. The Werkself continued to push after the restart and were quickly rewarded when Patrik Schick turned in Jeremie Frimpong’s cross via the help of both posts. Yannik Keitel got another back for the hosts with around 10 minutes to go, but the league leaders held on for a 3-2 win – the team’s seventh in a row in the Bundesliga to extend Bayer 04’s unbeaten run this season to 38 games. Read more about the match in our report.
“It’s fun to be on the pitch with these guys every week, and it was fun again from the start today. We were well set up for a tough game and immediately focused. We’ll continue to work hard and give everything every day,” said Wirtz after the game to Werkself-TV. Schick, who got his fourth goal in as many games, said of his run: “I work hard, just like all of us. And obviously it helps to have good crosses from my teammates, like today from Jeremie for my goal. Now is the most important part of the season, and we need every single player for that.”
“Bayer 04 pass Freiburg test” was the headline from the Rheinische Post. The Süddeutsche Zeitung didn’t believe it was an “overwhelming display” but Leverkusen “just keep on winning”. Bild highlighted the stat of 33 wins from that 38-match unbeaten run and described it as the streak “of champions”. kicker referred to the win as the “calm after the crazy” of the Qarabag result.
Jonathan Tah made his 250th Bundesliga appearance for Bayer 04, having made his league debut for the club in the 2-1 win at home to Hoffenheim on 15 August 2015. Tah himself said after the game in Freiburg: “I’m very pleased about this milestone. A lot of nice things have happened down the years and in all those games. I personally have come on a lot, but the club and the team have also taken big steps forward. We now want to keep gibing our all and reap the rewards for this season.”
Goalscorer Hlozek made his 50th Bundesliga appearance in Leverkusen colours, while Wirtz equalled his personal best campaign for league goals scored with seven.
Victory in Freiburg was Bayer 04’s sixth in a row away from home in the Bundesliga – a new club record. That streak began with the 1-0 win in Augsburg and has been followed by success in Leipzig, Darmstadt, Heidenheim and Cologne. The Werkself lead the Bundesliga for away points this season with 35 out of a possible 39, followed in second by Bayern (26).
The stats from the Freiburg game also went the way of Alonso’s men with 68 percent possession, 52 percent of challenges won, 19-11 on shots and a better passing rate (92 vs. 79 percent).
There’s a week off for the final international break of the year before Bayer 04 welcome Hoffenheim to the BayArena on Saturday, 30 March (3.30pm CET). That’s the start of three weeks of games every three/four days.
A simple approach to sport with games, fun and a highlight at the end: Bayer 04 organised a very special training session for 40 participants aged between six and 27 in cooperation with the Football Association of the Middle Rhine (FVM). At the day of action for women and girls with disabilities at the Kurtekotten Performance Centre, many of the participants gained their first experience of football.
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On Saturday, 28 March, the lights will go out again at the BayArena from 20:30 pm to 21:30. As in previous years, Bayer 04 once again take part in the WWF Earth Hour campaign under the motto "We're switching off" as the club wants to set a collective example for more climate and environmental protection together with people, cities and companies around the world.
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Less than a year ago, Kerim Alajbegovic moved from the Bayer 04 U19s to Austrian top-flight club FC Red Bull Salzburg. The forward’s development since then has been impressive. In 36 matches, including in the UEFA Europa League, the 18-year-old has scored 14 goals. In the summer, Alajbegovic, now a Bosnia international, will return to Leverkusen - and thus not only achieve the next milestone still early in his career, but also enrich the Werkself squad with his footballing versatility and determination.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended the contract with forward Nathan Tella ahead of schedule. The versatile 26-year-old, who can be deployed as a right winger, false nine or left winger, has penned a new contract to 30 June 2031. Tella joined the Werkself from Championship club Southampton in 2023. His previous contract ran to the summer of 2028.
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Nathan Tella has extended his contract with Bayer 04 to 2031. In an interview with Werkself TV, the 26-year-old talks about fulfilling his dreams, his positive outlook on life and his goals for the future. He answers the questions in English - all except the last one, which he addresses directly to the fans...
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