The Bundesliga is not the only league where there is tight race for top spot this season: The Italian top-flight is proving more exciting than for a long while. After the 3-0 win against the Werkself in the Champions League at the beginning of October, Juve went on impressive run with nine wins and one draw. However, the perennial champions have a real competitor in the battle for the top spot in Inter Milan - and the Bianconeri have had to relinquish top spot for the first time since the middle of October.
The reason for that is the first defeat in the current league campaign: The team coached by Maurizio Sarri suffered a defeat at third-placed Lazio on Saturday night although Cristiano Ronaldo did score the opening goal in a 3-1 defeat. A minor setback for the Turin side used to success.
The Turin team are already through to the knockout stages of the Champions League as winners of Group D and it could well be that one or two first choice players are rested ahead of the run-in the end of the year. It is also certain that the Germany internationals Emre Can (not selected for CL squad) and Sami Khedira (injured) will not travel to Leverkusen. Sarri has limited choice in midfield as Roderigo Bentancur had to go off injured against Lazio and is now ruled out as well.
According to the kicker, goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny and central defender Matthijs de Ligt could be rested. The latter made his professional debut for Ajax in 2016 under the current Bayer 04 head coach Peter Bosz: Whether or not, one or the other regular players are rested, the Old Lady has strength in depth with a squad that has great European experience and they are capable of making life difficult for the Werkself.
Gianluigi Buffon will probably play in place of Szczęsny. He is set to make his 146th appearance on the European stage and it would also represent a reunion with the BayArena. In the group stage of the Champions League campaign in 2001/02, Gigi travelled to Leverkusen with the Old Lady. Bayer 04 had to win on matchday five of the group stage to have a chance of qualifying for the knockout rounds. That's what happened on 12 March 2002: Jörg Butt with a penalty (24'), Thomas Brdaric (71’) and Marko Babic (90') put the ball in the net of the Italian legend in a 3-1 win for the Werkself on course for a place in the final of the Champions League in that season.
With 22 days to go until the start of the Bundesliga campaign, the Bayer 04 Women’s team have gained a fresh boost of confidence. In a friendly against Belgian top-flight side KRC Genk on Saturday afternoon, coach Roberto Pätzold’s team secured a 1–0 win. Lobke Loonen (20’) scored the winner for the Black and Reds at the Kurtekotten training centre.
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Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personal Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month…
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You have voted – your ‘Team of the Quarter-Century’ has been decided! This historic selection, covering the period from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2024, features honorary captains, Bundesliga champions, double winners and Champions League finalists. Edmond Tapsoba is the only player from the current Bayer 04 squad to make it into the starting XI, while his team-mate Patrik Schick is on the bench. Simon Rolfes, the current managing director sport, is also in the lie-up. A truly special team that brings together a quarter of a century of Bayer 04 history – and has left a decisive mark on the club.
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Following Patrik Schick, Mark Flekken, Ibrahim Maza and Kerim Alajbegovic earlier this week, the next World Cup participant is back on the training ground in Leverkusen: On Thursday 30 July, Malik Tillman rejoined the squad, completing his first training session under head coach Carles Martínez.
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Werkself TV shows the highlights of the 4-0 victory in the friendly match against KRC Genk...
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