With three changes to the starting XI and returnees Exequiel Palacios and Victor Boniface on the bench, Bayer 04 immediately imposed their dominant style of play on their visitors from Düsseldorf. Jeremie Frimpong converted that superiority into an early lead after just eight minutes. The Bundesliga leaders maintained their concentration after that, in their defensive work too. An example of this was when Florian Wirtz launched a counter-attack after winning the ball in his own penalty area before supplying Amine Adli, who buried the second goal into the far corner after 20 minutes. Wirtz himself then made it 3-0 in the 36th minute with a fine finish. After around an hour, the VAR spotted a handball in the box by Düsseldorf's Matthias Zimmermann and Wirtz confidently tucked away the subsequent penalty. The Werkself comfortably saw out the rest of the game and deservedly progressed to the final. The full match report
After the game, head coach Xabi Alonso spoke of a "very serious performance", adding: "Obviously the first goal was important, it gave us a lot of control. We didn't want a typical frantic cup match." On Wirtz, the Spaniard commented: "He put in a superb performance. We're seeing a very mature Flo in every match, who's there in the important moments and taking responsibility. He really is a top, top player."
Brace scorer Wirtz himself said afterwards: "It's a very good scoreline, but the most important thing is that we've qualified for the final. We're very glad that we can make the people here happy." Jonathan Tah, who led the side as captain in the semi-final, added: "We respected the opposition, not underestimated." And Granit Xhaka declared: "This team only knows 100 percent."
The Bild went with the headline "FINALonso! Leverkusen sweep aside Düsseldorf too and remain unbeaten in 40 games". kicker wrote: "The machine rolls on", adding: "Düsseldorf daring, Leverkusen clinical: Leverkusen completely dominated the game from the start, and short bursts of tempo were enough to put Fortuna in dire straits." The magazine also gave Wirtz the highest rating, as did the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, which awarded the Germany international a 1 - as it did Adli. The Süddeutsche Zeitung, meanwhile, chose the following headline and introduction: "The demon machine: Nimble-footed, with fluid short passing and clearly defined distances, Bayer 04 Leverkusen also dispatch Fortuna Düsseldorf 4-0 - Xabi Alonso reaches his first final as a first-team coach." The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung took a similar view and wrote about "light-footed Leverkusen".
Adli's strike against Fortuna means he's now the top scorer in this season's DFB Cup and also has the most goal contributions, with five goals and three assists. Equally pleasing was the return of Victor Boniface after 106 days out injured. The striker was sidelined by an adductor muscle tendon injury in recent months, but has been back training with the team recently and came on for Patrik Schick in the 65th minute against Düsseldorf.
Off the pitch, the fans delivered great support once more. Starting with an impressive tifo which stretched across the whole stadium, the Werkself supporters again loudly cheered on the Werkself over the whole match and made it an unforgettable cup night.
The stats also underline the Werkself's dominance, with a pass completion rate of 93% (Düsseldorf 82%) and possession of 72%. Leverkusen also won 62% of the duels and fired off 22 shots on goal (Düsseldorf eight).
Incidentally, for Wirtz it was his first brace for the club in his 141st appearance and his first converted penalty in a competitive game.
The fixtures keep coming thick and fast for the Werkself, who visit 1. FC Union Berlin on Matchday 28 of the Bundesliga on Saturday 6 April (kick-off 15:30 CEST). That's followed by the UEFA Europa League quarter-final first leg at home to West Ham United next week. Kick-off is at 21:00 CEST on Thursday 11 April.
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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