With four new players in the starting XI, it was clear from the start that the double winners believed they were capable of making up the deficit from the first leg in front of their own crowd. The Werkself pressed the visitors early and played at a high tempo. There were seven attempts on goal before half-time including two headers from Patrik Schick (39', 44') but there were no goals. The visitors from Munich made the better start to the second 45 and Harry Kane scored with a tap-in to give them the lead on 52 minutes. After a concerted period of pressure in the middle of second half with chances for Jeremie Frimpong (63'), Alejandro Grimaldo (66’) and Schick (67’), Alphonso Davies doubled the FC Bayern lead at 2-0 (71'). FCB player Jamal Musiala also hit the woodwork twice in the closing stages (82', 86') and then the game ended with the Werkself's exit from the Champions League sealed. The match report is HERE.
"The whole stadium was with us and we believed from the first minute that we could create a miracle today. I thought the first half was really good. We tried everything but couldn't break through," said captain Lukas Hradecky speaking to Werkself TV and he finally added: "We deserved to lose in the end and we will continue to work hard. We carry on!" Jonathan Tah declared: "We went into the game with 100% energy and high intensity but we couldn't score. That makes it difficult to pose a challenge for the opponents and put them under pressure. Stuttgart are next up and we obviously want to win there."
Xabi Alonso said at the post-match press conference: "We didn't lose the Round of 16 tie today but rather in Munich. In the end we weren't clinical enough and we made too many mistakes. The Champions League is a competition where you can't afford to make many mistakes."
The Rheinische Post report headline reads "Not a night for miracles", the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger opts for a similar headline: "Not a night for football miracles." kicker, talking about the opening goal for Bayern Munich, describes the opener from Harry Kane on 52 minutes as a "pulled plug" and the atmosphere at the BayArena as "heated" and that the Werkself produced a "power play at the start."
Arthur was in a Champions League line-up for the first time and the 21-year-old Brazilian made his second successive start for Bayer 04 for the first time this term. For Alejandro Grimaldo it was his 50th appearance in the Champions League.
With an average age of 28 years and 23 days, the second oldest Leverkusen starting line-up in the Champions League had 16 attempts on goal in this second leg, which was just above the average in the current UCL campaign (15). It was the third defeat in succession for the Werkself, the last time that happened was in July/August 2022 (four) and that is more losses than in the previous 37 games this season put together. The double winners have also failed to score in three games for the first time in over five years (also three games in December 2019).
The match stats are as follows: 53% possession, 17 to 12 shots on goal plus 14 to 6 corners in favour of the Werkself, FC Bayern won 53% of the duels and had a slightly better pass completion rate (77% to 75%).
The Werkself have one match before the final international break in the current campaign: The Bundesliga away game at VfB Stuttgart is on Sunday, 16 March (kick-off: 19:30 CET). The international break is followed by a home game at the BayArena against VfL Bochum and then the DFB Pokal semi-final at third division club Arminia Bielefeld.
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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