The match report in the EXPRESS mentions one impressive statistic for the Werkself. The 1-0 victory on Saturday was not only “the first win of the season” but also “the sixth successive victory against Mainz.”
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung describes the game as follows: “The encounter lacked incident and goalmouth action but was not at all boring. Both teams looked to get on the front foot with neither side having much space to develop their own play.”
Most of the reporters believed Bayer 04 made the better impression – particularly in the first half. “Leverkusen controlled the ball and opposition in the opening stages,” was the analysis in the online kicker report that talked about the “clinches of the Werkself” that Mainz were only able to escape after 20 minutes.
RP Online provided the relevant numbers to a decent performance in the first half: “67 per cent possession, 55 per cent of challenges won, a pass completion rate of 88 per cent plus a greater number of chances” to underline that the “lead for the Werkself at half-time was not undeserved.”
Lucas Alario was on the spot on the half-hour mark. “A corner gave Leverkusen the deserved lead,” reported the WELT am Sonntag. “The cross from Leon Bailey found the head of Lucas Alario who guided the ball into the back of the Mainz net from close range.” The Sunday paper opted for an appropriate headline, ‘Alario uses its head’.
The match report in the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger declared the winning goalscorer to be the Man of the Match. The Argentinian “was the matchwinner with his header. Alario was involved in some good moves in the second half when he was able to control the ball with his back to the goal.” The central striker, “in spite of some anxious moments” in the second half such as the withdrawn dismissal of Edmond Tapsoba, played big part from a Werkself perspective in the “massive relief” at the end of the match.
And the BILD also focuses on Alario - but also a special and tragic aspect from a Bayer 04 perspective: “Alario dedicated the goal to the seriously injured Santiago Arias (28). The Colombian suffered a broken leg and ligament damage in his left ankle a week ago in the World Cup qualifier against Venezuela (3-0). The tabloid quoted Alario with words that probably every Werkself fan would subscribe to: “We won this game for him. Hopefully it will help him on his long road to recovery. We’re all crossing our fingers.”
The season card waiting list, introduced by Bayer 04 last season, is open to Bayer 04 Club members. Read on for further information.
Show moreThe Werkself training camp officially began early on Tuesday morning with the landing in Rio de Janeiro. Ahead of the first session in the afternoon local time, bayer04.de profiles the talented youngsters from the youth teams who have travelled to Brazil.
Show moreThe welcome in Brazil could not have been more fitting: Paulo Sergio, with a small Bayer 04 delegation, welcomed the Werkself to Rio de Janeiro on the beach in front of the team hotel on Tuesday morning local time. Under clear blue skies, players, coaches and staff joined together for a group photo and then it was off to the rooms and breakfast. Shortly after the Werkself arrived, club legend Paulo Sergio, who will accompany the Werkself over the coming days, talked bayer04.de about these emotional moments for him.
Show morePreparations for the 2025/26 season are in full swing with the new head coach Erik ten Hag working for the start of the season in the middle of August. After the timings for the first matchdays in the forthcoming Bundesliga season were confirmed a few days ago, we now provide information on the first sale phase for match tickets. The early booker phase, exclusively for Bayer 04 Club members, brings some changes. Read on for further information.
Show moreBayer 04 are away to SG Sonnenhof Großaspach in the first round of the 2025/26 DFB Pokal. The match is on Friday, 15 August (kick-off: 18:00 CEST) at the WIRmachenDRUCK Arena. Read on for the latest ticket information.
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