Head coach Xabi Alonso made three changes to his line-up for the game against Inter Milan compared with the2-1 win against Bundesliga newcomers FC St. Pauli: Lukas Hradecky made way for Matej Kovar in goal with Jonathan Tah wearing the captain's armband tonight. Nordi Mukiele and Jeremie Frimpong came in for Arthur and Aleix Garcia.
The Werkself made a confident start to the game and had the majority of possession. The first attacking opportunity for the Black and Reds came in the third minute: Frimpong crossed the ball into the middle and Nathan Tella hit a volley against the bar. Shortly after that, Alejandro Grimaldo tested the Inter keeper Yann Sommer (11'), Granit Xhaka forced his fellow countrymen to make a save on 19 minutes. Wirtz had a shot on goal from distance towards the end of the first half (34') with the visitors having few attacking moves and no clear-cut chances. The first half ended goalless.
The Werkself started the second 45 playing with control and an intense passing game. The Nerazzurri, mainly focused on defending, made it difficult for the Werkself to find a way through the Italian defence. Frimpong had a chance on 53 minutes but missed the target. And an effort from Tah just after the hour mark flew just wide of the Inter goal (65'). The Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi then made a triple substitution that included bring on Lautaro Martinez.
The Italian trio failed to invigorate the Inter Milan game. On the contrary: The Nerazzurri appeared to be increasingly satisfied with a draw and put less effort into their own attacking play. However, the Werkself refused to give up and hit back with a last-minute winner: Nordi Mukiele sealed the victory on 90 minutes with an assist from substitute Martin Terrier. That secured three points against the Italian side who had previously conceded no goals in the competition!
Next up for the Werkself is the last match on the road in this calendar year. Bayer 04 are away to FC Augsburg on Saturday, 14 December (kick-off: 15.30 CET). That will be followed by the final home game and last match in 2024: The Werkself entertain SC Freiburg at the BayArena on Saturday, 21 December (kick-off: 18.30 CET).
Match stats:
Bayer 04: Kovar - Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie - Mukiele, Palacios, Xhaka, Grimaldo (Garcia 90+3') - Frimpong, Wirtz (Andrich 90+3') - Tella (Terrier 83')
Inter Milan: Sommer - Bisseck, De Vrij, Bastoni - Darmian, Frattesi (Barella 66'), Calhanoglu (Asllani 66'), Zielinski, Augusto (Dimarco 56') - Thuram (L. Martinez 66'), Taremi (Arnautovic 85')
Goals: 1-0 Mukiele (90’)
Yellow cards: Calhanoglu, Augusto
Referee: Slavko Vincić (Slovenia)
Attendance: 30,210 (sold out) at the BayArena
Just in time for the start of the school year, everyone was hard at work again at NaturGut Ophoven. For the 21st time, Bayer 04 have supported the annual ‘BioBrotbox’ campaign, which puts together a healthy breakfast for first-year primary school pupils in Leverkusen – and not only contributed 1,904 muesli bars but also plenty of enthusiasm too: Together with the U19 players Burak Kir and Clinton Wilson, Emily Wallrabenstein and Paulina Platner from the Women’s Bundesliga team helped with the packing. The latter was clearly delighted “that Bayer 04 are helping out with regional projects like this and showing their commitment to the local community”.
Show more
A group of about 50 members of the Bayer 04 Football Academy São Paulo visited Leverkusen over the past few days, accompanied by Bayer 04 club legend Paulo Sergio and Luiz Felipe (managing director of academy in São Paulo) for a week full of football, encounters and very special insights. In addition to the Bundesliga away game in Elversberg and the home game against Union Berlin, the visit also featured a joint training session with the Bayer 04 Football Academy in Leverkusen and a tour of the Bayer AG facilities. The guests also gained special insights into the club and the world of Bayer 04.
Show more
The men's clothing retailer LERROS will remain the official fashion and premium partner of Bayer 04 for the current season. As in the past, LERROS will provide the club's men's team, coaching staff and management with high-quality clothing for international trips.
Show more
“Diaby! Diaby! Diaby!” was the cry around the BayArena as the Werkself danced in front of the north stand following their 4-0 win over Union Berlin. Captain Edmond Tapsoba gave his new (and old) teammate a friendly shove forward to take in the acclaim from the fans. The returning Frenchman was typically reserved in thanking the supporters but was clearly emotional about what was happening.
Show more
