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.
Trophies as a youth, appearances in the pro game and his first taste of international competition: new arrival Luca Erlein, who has been signed from TSG Hoffenheim, can already look back on some remarkable achievements and moments in his fledgling career. We take a closer look at the 19-year-old right-back, who can also fill other roles across the defensive line.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen has a new coffee partner. The club has agreed a long-term partnership with the Bocholt-based roastery Imping, running to 30 June 2031. The exclusive partnership with the family-run business includes the installation of fully automatic coffee machines at the BayArena, as well as the right to supply and serve coffee products in the business areas during Werkself home games.
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Plenty going on both on and off the pitch: The Bayer 04 fan support team has organised a number of highlights for fans visiting the Werkself 2026/27 summer training camp in Blankenhain, in the Weimarer Land region. Registration for the events is now open. All the details at a glance.
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The Bayer 04 Leverkusen Women’s team and s2-Software are continuing their long-term partnership: The Werkself and the provider of pre-owned Microsoft licences have extended their contract by two years to 2028. This means s2-Software will remain the Bayer 04 sleeve sponsor for all matches in the Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga.
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BIOGENA is the new performance partner for the Bayer 04 Leverkusen Women’s team. Under a partnership initially set to run for three years, the club and the leading Austrian micronutrient company are pooling their expertise in the areas of health, fitness and top-level performance.
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