First Round, 10.08.2019: Alemannia Aachen v Bayer 04 1-4 (0-2)
The first competitive match in the 2019/20 campaign took three Black and Red players on a trip down memory lane. The Werkself kicked off the season away to Alemannia Aachen in the first round of the DFB Cup and that certainly evoked pleasurable thoughts of old and new times for Simon Rolfes, Kai Havertz and Hans-Peter Lehnhoff.
The Bayer 04 sporting director came to the attention of Leverkusen as a young player for Alemannia in the second division in 2004/05 and he still lives in the area. Kai Havertz was born in Aachen and his parents live just outside Aachen in Alsdorf. The young Kai took his first steps in the game as a youth player at Alemannia Mariadorf. His grandad used to be the chairman of the club when today’s team liaison manager Hans-Peter Lehnhoff was a talented forward. In front of a full house at the Tivoli – with 4,000 Bayer 04 fans amongst the 30,000 crowd – the battling underdogs initially competed on equal terms. However, an unlucky own goal by Aachen’s captain Hachenberg (19’) and a disguised low shot from Kevin Volland (39’) gave the disciplined favourites a 2-0 lead at half-time.
A goal scored by Batarilo from a counter-attack (56’) briefly got the home fans on their feet. But the hopes of the Alemannia fans disappeared fifteen minutes later when Leon Bailey made it 3-1 seconds after coming off the bench. And a man from Aachen in Black and Red rounded off the scoring: Kai Havertz netted for the final score of 4-1 (88’).
Match stats:
Alemannia Aachen: Cymer – Fiedler (Glowacz 81’), Heinze, Hackenberg, Wallenborn (Salata 69’) – Rakk (Pütz 83’) – Müller, Batarilo, Garnier, Rüter – Bors
Bayer 04: Özcan – Dragovic, S. Bender, Tah – Bellarabi (Bailey 72’), Aránguiz (Baumgartlinger 72’), Demirbay, Wendell – Havertz, Volland, Amiri (Diaby 80’)
Goals: 0-1 Hackenberg o.g. (19’), 0-2 Volland (39’), 1-2 Batarilo (56’), 1-3 Bailey (72’), 1-4 Havertz (88’)
Referee: Martin Petersen (Stuttgart)
Booked: Wallenborn
Attendance: 30,861 (sold-out)
Werkself player Montrell Culbreath and Bayer 04 loanee Francis Onyeka are part of Germany's final squad for the U19 European Championships this summer. The tournament is in Wales from 24 June to 12 July.
Show more
Carles Martìnez is raring to go. The 42-year-old speaks in his first interview in Leverkusen about the club's development to date and how he wants to build on it. He describes his previous work in France, Kuwait, Qatar and his native Barcelona, his experience in developing young players, and the key steps between now and the start of pre-season training.
Show more
New Bayer 04 head coach Carles Martínez has arrived in Leverkusen! At midday on Friday, the 42-year-old spoke in a press conference at the BayArena about his philosophy and his aims. Managing director sport Simon Rolfes also discussed the reasons for appointing the former Toulouse boss.
Show more
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have appointed Carles Martínez Novell as the new head coach. The 42-year-old Spaniard worked for FC Toulouse in the French Ligue 1 until the end of the season. Martínez finished last term in ninth place with the club from the south of France. He will take over the Werkself on 1 July 2026 and has signed a contract to 30 June 2028. Martínez, whose contract with Toulouse expires at the end of the month, succeeds Kasper Hjulmand at Leverkusen, who is leaving the club after one season.
Show more
Welcome to Leverkusen, Carles Martínez Novell. Bayer 04 have appointed the 42-year-old Spaniard as the new head coach on a contract to 2028. Martínez most recently worked for FC Toulouse in the French Ligue 1 until the end of the season. He previously spent four years at Barcelona's legendary academy La Masia in his home city. Bayer04.de introduces Martínez in more detail.
Show more
