Head coach Xabi Alonso made five changes to his starting line-up from the 3-1 victory at home to Borussia Mönchengladbach, naming the same team that started in the last Champions League game, the 1-0 win over Inter Milan. The Werkself took control of possession in the early stages, while Atletico waited for quick counter-attack opportunities. Exequiel Palacios registered the first attempt of the evening with a long-range shot (5'), but further goalscoring chances in the opening quarter of an hour failed to materialise.
The ball landed in the net for the first time in the 19th minute, but the effort from Nathan Tella didn't count as Alejandro Grimaldo, who supplied the assist, was stood offside. Soon after that, Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak made strong saves from Florian Wirtz (20') and Tella (22'). The Werkself were pushing and just a few minutes later, referee Davide Massa changed Pablo Barrios' card from yellow to red after reviewing his hard tackle on Nordi Mukiele, reducing the hosts to 10 men. Granit Xhaka fired off the next attempt (31'). Just as it looked like the first half would end goalless, the German double winners struck. Mukiele sent a deep cross towards the far post, where Piero Hincapie was in the right place to head in the opening goal (45'+1) and give his team a fully deserved lead at the break.
Bayer 04 began the second period with Patrik Schick on in place of Mukiele but conceded the equaliser soon after the restart. Julian Alvarez collected a long ball, fended off Jonathan Tah and then Grimaldo before finishing into the far corner (52'). Lifted by that goal, Atletico seized the iniative, helped by a number of mistakes from the Werkself in possession. It remained a frantic, physical and intense contest - but the next chances were a while coming at both ends. At the fired-up Metropolitano, the next excitement came in the 75th minute when Hincapie was shown his second yellow card for a foul on Giuliano Simeone. Like the first half, it looked for a long time like ending in a draw - but this time it was Atletico who had other ideas. Alvarez again rounded goalkeeper Matej Kovar and netted the winning goal for the Rojiblancos from a tight angle (90').
Bayer 04 are on their travels again this weekend. On Matchday 19 of the Bundesliga, the Werkself visit RB Leipzig on Saturday 25 January (kick-off 15:30 CET). That's followed by two home fixtures: against Sparta Prague in the final UCL league game (remaining tickets available here) and then TSG Hoffenheim.
Match stats:
Atletico: Oblak - Molina, Gimenez, Lenglet, Galan (Reinildo 46') - Llorente, De Paul, Barrios, Simeone (Lino 87') - Alvarez (Le Normand 90'+2 ), Griezmann (Correa 87')
Bayer 04: Kovar - Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie - Mukiele (Schick 46'), Xhaka, Palacios, Grimaldo - Frimpong (Arthur 81'), Wirtz (Garcia 89') - Tella (Hofmann 68')
Goals: 0-1 Hincapie (45'+1), 1-1 Alvarez (52'), 2-1 Alvarez (90')
Yellow cards: Gimenez, Molina, Simeone / Wirtz, Tella
Second yellow cards: Hincapie
Red cards: Barrios
Referee: Davide Massa (Italy)
Attendance: 70,460 (sold out) at the Estadio Metropolitano
Less than a year ago, Kerim Alajbegovic moved from the Bayer 04 U19s to Austrian top-flight club FC Red Bull Salzburg. The forward’s development since then has been impressive. In 36 matches, including in the UEFA Europa League, the 18-year-old has scored 14 goals. In the summer, Alajbegovic, now a Bosnia international, will return to Leverkusen - and thus not only achieve the next milestone still early in his career, but also enrich the Werkself squad with his footballing versatility and determination.
Show more
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended the contract with forward Nathan Tella ahead of schedule. The versatile 26-year-old, who can be deployed as a right winger, false nine or left winger, has penned a new contract to 30 June 2031. Tella joined the Werkself from Championship club Southampton in 2023. His previous contract ran to the summer of 2028.
Show more
Nathan Tella has extended his contract with Bayer 04 to 2031. In an interview with Werkself TV, the 26-year-old talks about fulfilling his dreams, his positive outlook on life and his goals for the future. He answers the questions in English - all except the last one, which he addresses directly to the fans...
Show more
In the final international break in the current 2025/26 campaign, Bayer 04 striker Patrik Schick with Czechia will be battling for a place at the World Cup. Meanwhile, national teams that have already qualified, include other Werkself players called up, are involved in friendlies in the build-up to the World Cup. Read on for an overview of the Leverkusen internationals and their match dates.
Show more
The Werkself kicked off the final international break of the current season on Monday morning with the first of three open training sessions this week. While eleven Bayer 04 players will be away on international duty in the coming days, the other players will be working together in Leverkusen. The next challenge in the Bundesliga awaits on Saturday, 4 April (kick-off: 15:30 CEST) with the home game against VfL Wolfsburg.
Show more
