‘EN’ knocked out two of the joint favourites on the way to the final. The team coached by Jens Martens and Olufemi Smith beat Regional League newcomers Teutonia 05 Ottensen 1-0 in the quarter-finals. They secured a 3-2 win in the semi-finals against league rivals Altona 03 – and now there is the victory over Sasel.
At the Wolfgang Meyer Stadium in Hamburg-Stellingen, Rico Bork gave Norderstedt the lead on 15 minutes with an impressive long-range effort. Nico Zankl levelled from the penalty spot a few minutes later (23’), Eintracht striker Jan Lüneburg quickly restored the lead (26’) and the scoreline remained the same at the end of the first half.
The EN striker demonstrated his finishing ability after the restart to make it 3-1 on 54 minutes. Substitute Evans Nyarko (71’) and Johann von Knebel four minutes later further extended the lead.
After the final whistle and progress to the DFB Cup, the Norderstedt coach Jens Martens was relieved and happy. “We’re really looking forward to the game against Leverkusen. We’re happy to accept the challenge and we will put on a good show,” said the 64-year-old, who added with a wink: “Of course, I don’t have anything against the result today.”
The first round tie between the Werkself and the Hamburg Cup winners will be played between 11 and 14 September. For last season’s finalists from Leverkusen the match in the Hanseatic city is also the opening fixture of 2020/21 season.
The European jersey has been launched, the UEL opponents have been drawn – and anticipation for the European campaign is running high. To mark the occasion, an autograph session was held on Friday afternoon, 28 August, at the Fanwelt with current Werkself player Montrell Culbreath and official club legend Paulo Sergio.
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On Friday afternoon, it will be decided which eight of the 36 participating teams Bayer 04 will face in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League in 2026/27. At the draw in Monaco (live on UEFA.com), the Werkself will be drawn against two teams from each of the four pots, allocated according to the UEFA club coefficient. A match against an opponent from the same country is ruled out, as is facing more than two clubs from the same national association. Here’s a look at the pots and potential opponents.
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After six and a half years, Exequiel Palacios is leaving the Bundesliga and moving from Bayer 04 to the Premier League. The Argentine, who as a Werkself player won the World Cup with his national team four years ago and finished as runners-up at this summer’s tournament, will play for newly promoted English side Ipswich Town with immediate effect. The 27-year-old, whose contract in Leverkusen was due to run until 30 June 2030, joined Bayer 04 in January 2020 as a promising young talent. He steadily developed into one of the best defensive midfielders in the German top flight.
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When Exequiel Palacios moved from the Argentinian club River Plate to Bayer Leverkusen on 1 January 2020, the then 21-year-old could not have imagined just how successful the next six and a half years would be for him. Pala, as he is known, had already won the Copa Libertadores – the most prestigious competition in South American club football – with River Plate. But there were still so many more trophies to come.
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