Head coach Xabi Alonso made eight changes to his starting XI from the 2-2 draw at Werder Bremen. Jonathan Tah, Edmond Tapsoba and Granit Xhaka remained in the side. Unavailable were the injured Amine Adli and Jeanuel Belocian plus the suspended Martin Terrier.
Just 74 seconds into the game and the Bayer 04 fans were able to celebrate for the first time at a sold-out BayArena: Patrik Schick received a low cross from Nathan Tella and he slotted the ball into the bottom left corner for the opening goal (2'). The Werkself dominated the game from the start with accurate passing and high concentration. Nicolas Kristof pulled off a good save to prevent Schick doubling his tally. However, shortly after that the SVE keeper was helpless as Schick netted his second goal: The Czechia international converted a cross from Jonas Hofmann from close range in typical striker fashion (9'). The game settled down after that until the Werkself scored the third goal on the night.
With 36 minutes on the clock, Aleix Garcia stepped up to take a free kick from 25 metres out in a central position and he hit the ball into the top left corner to make it 3-0. That was the first competitive goal for the Spanish newcomer. At the other end, Matej Kovar was tested just before half-time when he saved a shot from a Elias Baum (44'). As the keeper did his job with the same conviction as the players in front of him, the Black and Reds went into half-time with a well-deserved 3-0 lead.
The second half took off after a tricky situation in the Leverkusen penalty area that Kovar and Co. were able to deal with together (56'). Initially there were no worthwhile chances for the holders. With 20 minutes to play, Alonso brought on fresh legs in the shape of Alejandro Grimaldo and Florian Wirtz followed by Robert Andrich and Victor Boniface. The substitutes Grimaldo (86') and Wirtz (90+3') missed the chance to make it 4-0 in the closing stages, before Francis Onyeka – at Bayer 04 from the age of seven – came on to make his first-team debut. A fitting conclusion to a successful DFB Pokal night at the BayArena.
The draw for the Round of 16 is on Sunday, 3 November, on ARD from 19.10 CET.
Bayer 04 are next in action on Friday, 1 November, with the top Bundesliga match against VfB Stuttgart. Kick-off at the BayArena is at 20.30 CET. That is followed by the Champions League encounter at Liverpool on Tuesday, 5 November with the kick-off at 21.00 CET. The games before the final international break of the year are completed with a Bundesliga away fixture at VfL Bochum (Saturday, 9 November, 15.30 CET).
Match stats:
Bayer 04: Kovar - Mukiele, Tah, Tapsoba - Arthur (Onyeka 86'), Palacios, Xhaka (Wirtz 69'), Tella (Grimaldo 69') - Hofmann (Andrich 79'), Garcia - Schick (Boniface 79')
Elversberg: Kristof - Baum, Pinckert, Rohr, Neubauer - Sicker (Zimmerschied 69'), Sickinger - Petkov (Feil 46'), Damar (Schmahl 46’) - Asllani (Stock 59’), Schnellbacher (Gerezgiher 46’)
Goals: 1-0 Schick (2’), 2-0 Schick (9’), 3-0 Garcia (36’)
Booked: Tapsoba - Pinckert
Referee: Benjamin Brand (Unterspiesheim)
Attendance: 29,787 at the BayArena
Exciting experiences and exclusive insights into the Werkself and the BayArena awaited the young footballers from the BA04 Football Academy Guangzhou in China during their visit to the Rhineland this week. As well as taking part in a joint training session with the Bayer 04 Football Academy, the youngsters marvelled at the Bundesliga club’s stadium during a guided tour. The highlight of the visit was a private press conference with former Bayer 04 striker Stefan Kießling, during which he shared tips from his own career with the young players. On Saturday afternoon, 10 October, the group will round off their visit by supporting the Werkself in the away match in Mainz.
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Fun, games and promising talent: At the fourth Bayer 04 Junior Girls’ Talent Day at the Kurtekotten training centre, 90 football-mad girls had the chance to put themselves forward for the Werkself youth teams. During a 90-minute training session, children born between 2011 and 2019 had the chance to demonstrate their skills.
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Despite the international break, numerous Werkself fans turned up at the BayArena on Saturday 3 October. The occasion: Bayer 04, together with Bayer Vital and main sponsor BarmeniaGothaer, organised a Health Day. In the stadium’s Premium Lounge, guests listened to fascinating talks on the subject of cancer, featuring, amongst others, Bayer 04 record appearance holder Rüdiger Vollborn and former Werkself player Hans Sarpei. Afterwards, young and old alike enjoyed interactive stations such as a grip strength test and eye pupil test.
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In issue #56 of Werkself Magazine, Afonso Moreira offers some interesting insights into his home country, Portugal, as part of the ‘Sag mal’ (Tell me) feature. Among other things, the 21-year-old talks about his favourite places in the country on the Iberian Peninsula, the local cuisine and music, as well as heroes and historical figures beyond the world of football. ‘Sag mal’ with Afonso Moreira!
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