Leverkusen started the contest positively and had the early chances, patiently searching for gaps in the Milan rearguard and often trying with switches of play from Aleix Garcia. Victor Boniface then thought he'd given the hosts the lead but Jeremie Frimpong was offside in the build-up. Soon after the restart, though, Boniface did break the deadlock. Garcia’s lovely through ball to Alejandro Grimaldo in the box was flicked into the path of Frimpong. His shot was only parried by Maignan, presenting the Nigerian with the simple job of tapping in. Having taken the lead, the Werkself retreated a bit, allowing the Rossoneri a few isolated chances, including a shot from Theo Hernandez that struck the woodwork. However, the Werkself kept their concentration until the end and saw out the win. Read the full match report HERE.
Head coach Xabi Alonso was a proud man at full time: "We have great opponents in the Champions League. We showed the right mentality, which we need if we want to go far. We treated Milan very seriously and with the necessary respect. The players gave everything to get the three points."
Lukas Hradecky, meanwhile, praised the fans for their support in the first home game of this Champions League campaign: "Matches like this are every player's dream, you have endless energy. The fans carried us to the end. It's always very nice to experience this at the BayArena." Florian Wirtz agreed: "The fans really went for it again, it was nice. It's always a lot of fun to play here - especially on Champions League nights."
In their match report, the Rheinische Post went with the headline "Leverkusen overpower AC Milan" and wrote: "Bayer Leverkusen had everything under control for a long time against Milan, then the Italians turned up the heat. It finished in a narrow but not undeserved 1-0 win for Bayer in their first Champions League home match in almost two years." Bild saw the narrow win as "absolutely fair, even though luck was on Bayer's side in the closing stages".
kicker wrote: "Bayer dictated the tempo from the beginning", although the magazine also noted: "Leverkusen did give away some easy chances, which meant the Rossoneri stayed in the game until the end."
Wirtz was again named Player of the Match by UEFA in the second Champions League game of his career, having previously won the award after his brace in the 4-0 win at Feyenoord on his debut, where he also became the first German player to net twice in his first appearance in Europe's premier club competition. Garcia received the highest individual rating from the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, who said: "Garcia produced some beautiful and pinpoint balls across the field to Grimaldo and Frimpong. Initiated the goal with a through ball. Also alert defensively. Leverkusen's best player."
Boniface also had reason to celebrate, as the Nigerian international scored the first Champions League goal of his career against Milan.
Despite a dominant display particularly in the first half, the stats point to an even contest. Both teams had 16 shots on goal, while the Werkself had possession 50.3 percent of the time. While the visitors had the better tackling ratio (58 to 42%), Leverkusen were slightly more accurate in their passing (91.7 to 90.2%).
Irrespective of that, one statistic is particularly pleasing: Bayer 04 are now unbeaten in 10 home games in European competitions - a new club record.
Next for the Werkself is Matchday 6 of the Bundesliga, when they take on newcomers Holstein Kiel on Saturday 5 October at 15:30 CEST. That's followed by the second international break of this season.
Season tickets for the Werkself home matches in the new Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga season are now on general sale. The season ticket is valid for all 13 matches at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. The first home match will be played between 28 and 31 August against the runners-up, VfL Wolfsburg, followed by the clash with the German champions, Bayern Munich, between 11 and 14 September.
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A new team, a new environment, a new challenge—and yet one thing remains the same for Afonso Moreira: his attitude. Total dedication, discipline, and the drive to improve every day have defined the Portuguese player since his early days at Sporting CP. “Even back then, I realized I had to work hard to achieve my goals,” said the 21-year-old. His parents also instilled those values in him from a young age. Values that have driven him ever since, accompanied him to France when he signed for Lyon, and now also form the foundation for his new chapter at Bayer 04. At a media session, the lightning-fast winger spoke about his values, as well as his new teammates, the new coach, and his targets at the club.
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Former Bundesliga and Germany keeper Manfred Manglitz, who was promoted to the Oberliga West with Bayer 04 in 1962, passed away on Monday at the age of 86.
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Justine Brandau and Lobke Loonen joined the Bayer 04 Women’s squad in quick succession this summer. The two Dutch players have been friends since their youth days, and are now playing for the same club for the first time. In an interview at the training camp in Rieden, Brandau and Loonen talk, amongst other things, about their experiences as opponents in the Vrouwen Eredivisie, the dynamic within their new team and their first few weeks in Leverkusen.
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