The online Sunday edition of the Kölner Stadt Anzeiger believes Bayer 04 missed the chance of taking a big step forward to the Champions League against Stuttgart. A combination of carelessness and silly mistakes affected the team coached by Heiko Herrlich in the 1-0 defeat against VfB Stuttgart and now they have to rely on other teams and better performances of their own in the final two games against Werder Bremen and Hannover 96." Another reason behind the 1-0 scoreline was the performance of Stuttgart's outstanding keeper Ron-Robert Zieler: "The VfB goalkeeper reacted brilliantly half a dozen times including the penalty save. And his one mistake on 66 minutes, when he gave the ball away to Bellarabi, he rectified himself."
The Sonntags Express also criticizes the Werkself finishing: "Are Bayer going to let Champions League qualification slip through their hands in the run-in? After three defeats in succession nerves are jangling under the Bayer cross. Why? Because the Bayer attack was a complete flop! Squandering chances started on 15 minutes … Bayer's first culprit. Lucas Alario missed the gift of a penalty. In the absence of the usual penalty taker Wendell, the Argentinian hit the ball towards the left corner of the net at a comfortable height - no problem for Stuttgart's keeper Zieler. It was Kevin Volland's turn in the second half. After a brilliant solo run by Lars Bender, the unmarked striker fired the ball into the stands from eleven yards out."
The Stuttgarter Zeitung report from Leverkusen focuses on VfB Stuttgart's European ambitions: "The VfB captain Christian Gentner made the Stuttgart fans happy with a header back across the Leverkusen goalkeeper Bernd Leno. The newcomers to the top flight won 1-0 at Bayer Leverkusen thanks to Gentner's strike and are now on 45 points with two games to play. The team coached by Tayfun Korkut are just one point behind Eintracht Frankfurt in seventh place in the Bundesliga. After matchday 34, that position would ensure qualification for the Europa League."
And Kicker also sees the Swabian team as candidates for the Europa League: "A mercilessly efficient VfB Stuttgart have moved up to seventh thanks to a 1-0 win at Bayer 04 Leverkusen. The Swabians only needed one real chance and an impressive Ron-Robert Zieler to secure a flattering win against the Werkself who missed a number of chances and have now conceded the fourth Champions League qualification place to Hoffenheim with a host of missed chances."
The Germany U19 team were beaten 2-0 by record champions Spain in the final of the U19 European Championship in Wales. Bayer 04 players Montrell Culbreath and Francis Onyeka (on loan at SV 07 Elversberg) were in the starting line-up and played the full 90 minutes.
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Bayer 04 Women have boosted their firepower with the signing of Poland international Paulina Tomasiak. The 24-year-old striker moves to Leverkusen from Gornik Leczna in her homeland on a two-year contract.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have signed France U17 international Kenan Doganay. The 1.90-metre-tall defensive midfielder, who has Turkish roots, joins Leverkusen from the U19s at French top-flight club Olympique Lyon. He will initially train with and play for the U19 team.
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The Sports Tribunal of the German Football Association (DFB) has fined Bayer 04 Leverkusen €185,000 for spectators setting off pyrotechnic devices during a total of five competitive matches. This relates to four Bundesliga matches and the DFB Pokal semi-final against Bayern Munich. The highest individual fine relates to the away match at FC Köln at the end of April.
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