Round of 16, 05.02.2020: Bayer 04 v VfB Stuttgart 2-1 (0-0)
The Werkself faced VfB Stuttgart in the Round of 16. The Swabians were in the second division at the time but they definitely had Bundesliga quality on the pitch with experienced players like former Bayer 04 player Gonzalo Castro and Daniel Didavi. "We will probably have to work hard for a good result," said Werkself coach Peter Bosz ahead of the tie and he proved to be right with the later events on the pitch. The favourites definitely had to invest a lot of effort and keep their nerves at the end to keep the competitive VfB team at arm's length.
Kai Havertz was suitably relieved after the close encounter, with Bayer 04 scoring three offside goals and Stuttgart's Mateo Klimowicz missing the chance to level late on to take the game into extra time when he was clean through. Mateo's father, Diego Klimowicz, who played for VfL Wolfsburg, Borussia Dortmund and VfL Bochum between 2002 and 2010 scoring 97 goals in 213 Bundesliga matches, would probably not have let that chance escape. Havertz, who led the Werkself out onto the pitch as captain for the first time at the age of just 20 years and 11 months, said after the match: "We’re very happy we’re through to the next round and we definitely didn't play our best football. VfB hurt us with several counter-attacks and they created some good chances."
The lead for the Werkself, with winter signing Exequiel Palacios making his debut, required a lot of patience and even more luck from a set piece when VfB keeper Bredlow punched a corner into his own net (71'). Lucas Alario doubled the lead with an unusual looping shot (83'), before the visitors pulled a goal back through Wamangitukas (85') to make the final minutes exciting.
Match stats:
Bayer 04: Hradecky – Weiser, S. Bender (Tah 46'), Dragovic, Sinkgraven (Wendell 85') – Demirbay, Palacios – Bellarabi, Havertz, Diaby (Amiri 67') – Alario
VfB Stuttgart: Bredlow – Stenzel, Phillips, Castro – Massimo (Mola 58’), Mangala, Endo, Förster (Egloff 79’) – Wamangituka, Didavi (Klimowicz 67’) – Gonzalez
Goals: 1-0 Bredlow (o.g. 71’), 2-0 Alario (83’), 2-1 Wamangituka (85’)
Referee: Bibiana Steinhaus (Langenhagen)
Booked: Weiser, Hradecky – Castro
Attendance: 20,320
This special event showed once again how strong Bayer 04 are as a team: As part of ‘BarmeniaGothaer gives joy’, the Werkself players Edmond Tapsoba, Ibrahim Maza and Christian Kofane supported the sale of individually designed T-shirts for a good cause at the Fanwelt on Thursday. Several hundred fans came to take part in the charity campaign. Leverkusen's main sponsor BarmeniaGothaer donated the proceeds to the Fondation Edmond Tapsoba, which helps people in Tapsoba's home country of Burkina Faso in their challenging everyday lives.
Show more
With three games to play before the end of the season, the Bayer 04 Women can break one record and equal another at SGS Essen. After three wins on the bounce, coach Roberto Pätzold's team are aiming to maintain the chance of third place in Sunday’s away game (14:00 CEST, Stadion an der Hafenstraße).
Show more
Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personalised Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month…
Show more
From Ouagadougou to Leverkusen – and back: in March, Bayer 04 travelled with Edmond Tapsoba for a special project in his homeland Burkina Faso. The country where his roots and heart lie. The country where he’s more than a world-class defender: a symbol of hope and a role model for an entire generation. The result is a 45-minute documentary about Tapsoba’s long journey from Africa via Portugal to Leverkusen, which offers extraordinary, one-off and emotional insights.
Show more
Edmond Tapsoba has signed an early extension to his contract with Bayer 04 Leverkusen. With two years left on his current deal, the 27-year-old Burkina Faso international has extended his contract until 30 June 2031. The centre-back joined as a young talent from Portuguese top-flight club Vitoria Guimaraes at the start of 2020.
Show more
