The situation appeared hopeless after the first three matches. Juventus led the group on seven points, Atletico were second also on seven points with Bayer 04 pointless. But the Werkself then won twice and Atletico did not pick up a single point. Bayer 04 were on the up and Atletico in decline. A psychological benefit for Bosz? “Unfortunately not. The fact is: We are still a point behind. And Atletico are at home to Loko Moscow. Loko have nothing to lose or win.”
Nevertheless, the Dutchman made it clear: Bayer 04 want to secure victory over the Old Lady to play their part in a possible miracle. If the Werkself win and Atletico fail to pick up any points then Leverkusen would be in the knockout rounds of the Champions League. The only other team to achieve that since the Champions League was introduced in 1992 was Newcastle United in 2002/03.
It is now clear that Bosz will have to leave out two players from the squad for the 2-1 win against Schalke 04. The reason: The Champions League rules only allow an 18-man squad. “You’ll see the rest tomorrow,” said the Dutchman in response to the question about possible rotation. It is certain that Nadiem Amiri is suspended after being sent off in the home game against Atletico Madrid; Jonathan Tah returns to the squad in his place. His two-match ban only applies to the Bundesliga.
Playmaker Kai Havertz, who was also at the press conference, is looking forward to the clash with the Italian record champions – and playing against goalkeeping legend Gianluigi Buffon. The 20-year-old: “Gigi is a legend. For me, he was and is a great role model. Players like that are the face of football. Not least because he’s been around so long.”
Havertz was asked about the transfers and he made his position clear. “I’m not interested it that at all. We’ve got important games coming up. The focus is completely on Leverkusen. I’ve been injured recently and I’m happy to be back on the pitch. That’s the most important thing for me now,” said the Germany international. Bosz is happy to have his number 29 back on the pitch. A win against Juventus is only possible with a solid team performance. The Werkself head coach said at the end: “We can only beat Juve playing as a team!”
Match info:
Referee: Benoît Bastien (France)
Live broadcaster: DAZN
Tickets: Bayer 04 expect a sell-out at the BayArena
In glorious sunshine and temperatures of around 30 degrees Celsius, the Bayer 04 Women have begun their preparations for the new season. With a relaxed first session at the Kurtekotten training centre, coach Roberto Pätzold’s team became the first Bundesliga side to resume training after a 37-day break.
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Black and Red stand out. Under the slogan ‘Diversity under the Cross’, Bayer 04 took part in Pride on the Rhine at the weekend alongside the queer fan club “Bayer 04 Junxx”. The club mascot, Brian the Lion, and several members of staff were also in attendance, championing diversity and solidarity.
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Centre-back Melissa Friedrich is set to remain at Bayer 04 for another year. The longest-serving player in the squad, who joined the club in 2016, has extended her contract to 2027.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have signed Portugal U21 international Afonso Moreira. The 21-year-old winger joins the club from French top-flight side Olympique Lyon on a contract to 30 June 2031. In France last year, the left-winger made 37 appearances in Ligue 1, the Coupe de France and the UEFA Europa League, scoring a total of eight goals and providing eleven assists.
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