Edmond Tapsoba knows Porto better than any other player in the Leverkusen squad. The Burkina Faso international has played the north Portuguese club twice with Vitória Guimaraes and twice as a Bayer 04 player. “Porto is a great club and the atmosphere at their stadium is special,” said Tapsoba, recently voted a member of the team of the century by Guimaraes fans, at the press conference on Monday evening. “They convincingly beat Braga 4-1 a few days ago and I watched the game. They’ve got a good team and a dangerous attack. But it’s also clear we’ve come here to win.”
Tapsoba and Co. showed how to do it in the Europa League in 2019/20. A 2-1 home win against Porto was followed by a 3-1 win for Bayer 04 in Portugal.
21 Werkself players set off for Portugal on Monday afternoon and they will have the backing of 669 fans in the away section on Tuesday night. In comparison to the squad for the clash with Bayern Munich, Daley Sinkgraven (not registered for the Champions League) is missing but Ayman Azhil has travelled.
While no big changes in personnel are expected, a different approach is required compared with the display in the 4-0 defeat in Munich. “Of course, we were disappointed after the game. The team and staff have looked at their performances,” said coach Gerardo Seoane. The Swiss coach sees a Leverkusen team, “that is fully aware of this difficult situation. We all have to ensure that that we show qualities like the ability to fight and commitment on the pitch.”
Asked about being considered as the favourites in tomorrow’s game, Seoane highlighted the home game factor. And yet: “All the teams in this group can beat each other. I think it will be a very balanced and tight game.”
Asked about his own future at Leverkusen, Seoane reported: “We always have internal open discussions and communicate as clearly as possible. I’ve been in this business for a long time and the most important thing is always the results and the next game. It’s my job to coach the team and draw the right conclusions after a defeat. I’m focusing on that. I think it’s professional the way the club reassesses the situation again and again to not lose sight of the whole picture. The club has shown their confidence in me otherwise I wouldn’t be here any more. It’s understandable that journalists keep asking those questions. I can handle that.”
The European jersey has been launched, the UEL opponents have been drawn – and anticipation for the European campaign is running high. To mark the occasion, an autograph session was held on Friday afternoon, 28 August, at the Fanwelt with current Werkself player Montrell Culbreath and official club legend Paulo Sergio.
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On Friday afternoon, it will be decided which eight of the 36 participating teams Bayer 04 will face in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League in 2026/27. At the draw in Monaco (live on UEFA.com), the Werkself will be drawn against two teams from each of the four pots, allocated according to the UEFA club coefficient. A match against an opponent from the same country is ruled out, as is facing more than two clubs from the same national association. Here’s a look at the pots and potential opponents.
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After six and a half years, Exequiel Palacios is leaving the Bundesliga and moving from Bayer 04 to the Premier League. The Argentine, who as a Werkself player won the World Cup with his national team four years ago and finished as runners-up at this summer’s tournament, will play for newly promoted English side Ipswich Town with immediate effect. The 27-year-old, whose contract in Leverkusen was due to run until 30 June 2030, joined Bayer 04 in January 2020 as a promising young talent. He steadily developed into one of the best defensive midfielders in the German top flight.
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When Exequiel Palacios moved from the Argentinian club River Plate to Bayer Leverkusen on 1 January 2020, the then 21-year-old could not have imagined just how successful the next six and a half years would be for him. Pala, as he is known, had already won the Copa Libertadores – the most prestigious competition in South American club football – with River Plate. But there were still so many more trophies to come.
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