Werkself review #B04Inter: Patient breach of Italian stronghold

Summary: Reward for a dominant performance

It was a one-sided match from the start. The Werkself started the game with lots of confidence and had the majority of possession with the first chance coming on three minutes when Nathan Tella volleyed a Jeremie Frimpong cross against the bar. While the Black and Reds grew in dominance, the Nerazzurri focused on defending and increasingly seemed to be satisfied with a goalless draw as the game went on. However, the Leverkusen team did not give up and pressed for the opener that did come. Nordi Mukiele secured the home win for the Werkself with his goal on 90 minutes. The match report is HERE.

Reaction: "We kept believing right to the end"

Head coach Xabi Alonso said after the game: "We are very happy with the performance and the result against this top team. We had good stability, a good structure and more or less avoided giving the ball away."

Jonathan Tah said after the final whistle: "Against Italian teams you always expect to come up against a tough defence. We kept believing right to the end. It was a game where you had to be patient and it was great to get the ball in the back of the net in the final seconds." Nordi Mukiele was surprised that the Inter Milan team focused so much on defence. The scorer of the winning goal said: "I didn't expect Inter to be so defensive. I'm very happy to have scored the goal and I'm just pleased for the whole team that we were able to win today."

What the papers say: "Defence cracked open, points taken"

The Rheinische Post summed up the game as follows: "Bayer beat Milan's minimalists." The RP also reported a "deserved win" for the Werkself.

The headline in kicker reads "Defence cracked open, points taken" and the Werkself are described as the "more dominant team" that was "clearly better and superior." The Bild takes a similar view: "Bayer Leverkusen breach Inter Milan defence! The Champions League clash between the German and Italian champions ended with a 1-0 scoreline – last-minute Leverkusen are back!"

The Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, like the other media, talks about a "deserved win" and sums up the game as follows: "Bayer 04 were the dominant team looking for offensive solutions. Inter gathered in two rows in and around their own penalty area and allowed the double winners to come at them." The KStA awarded Nordi Mukiele top marks with the explanation: "The Frenchman crowned an impressive performance with a late goal from close range. A rock in defence, multiple actions in attack."

Personnel: Firsts for French duo

Nordi Mukiele's strike just before the final whistle was an important goal. The goal not only secured three points for the Werkself but also saw Leverkusen move up to second place in the Champions League table. And it was also a significant goal from a personal point of view: The Frenchman, who was later voted Man of the Match, netted his first goal for Bayer 04 in his eighth outing. The assist was provided by fellow countrymen Martin Terrier, who came off the bench on 83 minutes and became the provider shortly after that. It was the first assist for Terrier in this Champions League campaign.

Edmond Tapsoba made his mark in another way: The defender completed 117 passes in the game, the highest number for a Bayer 04 player in the Champions League this season.

And the twelfth man also stood out: Werkself fans greeted the team bus on Bismarckstraße before the game to welcome Alonso's team. The Bild reported a "warm reception for a hot Champions League night." Some 7,000 fans lined Bismarckstraße clad in Black and Red to provide the optimum atmosphere for the Champions League night. The Bayer 04 supporters were less frenetic in their backing in the stadium but celebrated loudly when Mukiele raised the roof in a full house at the BayArena. Xabi Alonso said: "I felt the fans expected a good game – and that's exactly what we were able to give them."

Stats: Bayer 04 inflict first goal on Inter Milan

The 1-0 victory for the Werkself was the first win against Inter Milan. The last four games on the European stage were all won by the Nerazzurri. In addition, the Werkself also succeeded in achieving something no other team has in five games in the Champions League in 2024/25: scoring a goal against Inter Milan.

The stats on #B04Inter reflect the one-sided nature of the game: Leverkusen had 17 shots on goal, Inter Milan six. But there were no clear shots on goal from the Nerazzurri. There was even a phase of 30 minutes without a single shot. On the one hand, a sign of the defensive approach from Inter, on the other a sign of alert defending by the Black and Reds.

The Black and Reds also had the better pass completion rate with 91.3% compared with 88.6% as well as having 60.6% of possession. In the first 15 minutes in the second half it went up to 74.9%.

Outlook: Last away game in 2024

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).