Bayer 04 only presented the eSports new signings Anna ‘B04_ANNA’ Klink and Marc ‘MARC_LDW23’ Landwehr a few weeks ago. The duo were supposed to be gradually introduced for possible appearances in the VBL alongside the Leverkusen professional gamers Fabian ‘B04_DUBZJE’ De Cae and Kai ‘DETO’ Wollin. However, the 18-year-old Landwehr made his debut for #B04eSports on the third double matchday in the Club Championship – and that on the unfamiliar Xbox console.
Equally astounding: The Leverkusen newcomer only learned about his VBL appearance in the evening on Tuesday morning. "I got up at 4.30 and went to work as usual," explained Landwehr. "After I got the call in the morning, the anticipation was massive and I immediately started preparing." After the 2-1 individual win for 'DETO' against a very defensive Hamburg player in Daniel ‘HSV DANIEL’ Dwelk on PlayStation, it was time for the debut of the #B04eSports teenager.
Landwehr faced the Hamburg Xbox professional gamer Cina ‘LOSTINTHEWAVESZ’ Hosseindjani. "I was rather excited but then I did manage to control the game more or less," said the 18-year-old after his first VBL individual match that he deservedly won 4-2. His PlayStation teammate and FIFA world champion 'DETO' praised the new signing as a “very good player" and talked about very close practice matches in training.
As the following double-header against HSV ended in a goalless draw, the #B04eSports players secured an overall 7-1 win against the team from Hamburg in the early evening.
The matches against Hamburg were followed by clashes with VfL Bochum. 'DETO' was on the wrong end of a 5-1 scoreline against Cihan ‘CIHAN_OFFICIAL’ Yasarlar. Landwehr was more successful: The youngster was a winner in the individual game against Bochum's Ali ‘PREDATORFIFA’ Oskoui Rad. He scored in the last minute to seal a 4-3 victory. "What a great happy ending," rejoiced the 18-year-old with a broad grin. In a repeat of the result against HSV, the double-header with Bochum also ended goalless.
Thanks to the total of eleven points on matchdays five and six, Leverkusen have moved up to top spot in the North West section in the Club Championship. The #B04eSports players are back in action on Tuesday 1 December against Schalke 04 (18.00 CET) and Eintracht Braunschweig (20.00 CET).
Bayern Munich come to the BayArena this Saturday with an 11-point lead in the Bundesliga as they look to take a step closer to the title. As imperious as they may seem, a weakness has emerged of late that the Werkself proved they can exploit in Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal in the Champions League. Leverkusen are also looking to make it four Bundesliga home games unbeaten against the Bavarians. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the 15:30 CET kick-off in our matchday news.
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Another home game, another top opponent - another marker? Three days after their convincing performance in the 1-1 draw with Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg, Bayer 04 continue their Bundesliga campaign with an equally high-calibre fixture. Matchday 26 sees league leaders Bayern Munich visit the sold-out BayArena. Ahead of the clash, head coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke about a comparison between Arsenal and the Bavarians, Bayern's high-scoring performance in Europe's premier club competition and a return to the squad for one Werkself player.
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High spirits and previously untold stories: Around 100 Bayer 04 fans packed the Schwadbud fan pub in the east stand of the BayArena on Thursday evening to be there in person for the first instalment of the new series of events entitled “Rudi lädt ein” (Rudi invites you). They listened intently as long-serving Werkself players Gonzalo Castro and Stefan Kießling chatted with record appearance-maker Rüdiger Vollborn and presenter and stadium announcer Tobias Ufer about their many years together at the club, shared amusing anecdotes and revealed dressing room secrets. Anyone who missed the premiere can already look forward to the second instalment – on 12 May, Rudi will be testing the expert knowledge of Bayer 04 fans during a quiz night.
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The Bundesliga home game against VfL Wolfsburg in the first half of the season was one of those classic ‘days to forget’ for Bayer 04 Women. It started with goalkeeper Charlotte Voll being shown a red card in the first minute of the game, and following a further sending-off, coach Roberto Pätzold's 9-women side ended up losing 5-1 to last season's runners-up. At 18.30 CET on Sunday, they'll have the chance to exact revenge at the AOK Stadium - and pick up valuable points in the race for third place.
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They're well on their way to becoming German champions for the 35th time and once again proved their incredible class in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday. This Saturday, 14 March (kick-off: 15.30 CET), Bayern Munich will be the visitors to the BayArena. It'll be a meeting of the two Bundesliga teams with the most dominant styles of play. A look at our opponents shows the visitors from the Bavarian capital have many strengths - but are also vulnerable.
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