The Werkself, with three changes from the side in the Bundesliga match against VfL Wolfsburg (0-2), were alert from the start, compact in defence and they frustrated the opposition. The impressive Jeremie Frimpong put the ball in the net on 24 minutes but VAR intervened immediately and decided it was offside. But a Moussa Diaby strike just before half-time did count (42') – a deserved lead. The Frenchman scored again after the restart (52'), Florian Wirtz (86') and substitute Nadiem Amiri in the final minute added to the tally to secure a 4-0 win. An unpleasant end to the match: Real Betis player Nabil Fekir and Werkself playmaker Kerem Demirbay clashed in added time and were both shown the red card. The match report is HERE.
Head coach Gerardo Seoane not only praised the players on the pitch after the final whistle: "I'm very proud of the team. But also huge thanks to the fans who gave us fantastic support," said the 43-year-old. The Swiss coach said about the match-winner on the night Moussa Diaby: "His performance stands out with the two goals. But I'd like to stress how much he worked for the team."
Goalkeeper and captain Lukas Hradecky talked in a touchline interview about "a great team performance. We definitely wanted to win today and fought for it even more." Midfield dynamo Robert Andrich: "We very much played as a team today, gave little away, took our chances and deservedly won in the end. That was important."
Moussa Diaby played an inspired role on this Europa League night. Having missed Saturday's game against Wolfsburg due to suspension, the France international was directly involved in all four goals (two goals, two assists). "Above all, I'm happy about this win for the team," he explained after the match. 70 per cent of fans voted for the 22-year-old on the Bayer 04 app as the Man of the Match.
Diaby had his own small fan club in the stands for the game against Real Betis. A few hours before the Europa League match kicked off, there was a friendly at the Kurtekotten Performance Centre between the Bayer 04 U11s and youngsters from Esperance Paris 19, Diaby's youth team (up to his move to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2013). To celebrate the day, the Werkself player gave the children lots of shirts with the number 19 on – and he clapped hands with them after the end of the game at the south-east section of the BayArena.
Amine Adli and Co. had a total of 22 efforts on goal (Real Betis:15). The Seoane team had slightly less possession than the visitors from Andalusia (with 56 per cent) but the two teams were more or less level in pass completion on 83 per cent.
The Express reports a "Euro Gala". Furthermore, in relation to the previous five matches without a win for the Werkself, the journal adds: "The negative run was unrecognisable from the start for Bayer against a mediocre Spanish side."
Kicker highlighted Diaby as "outstanding" and named him "Man of the Match". Both the Rheinische Post as well as the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger awarded top marks for the winger's display. Meanwhile, the BILD tabloid made a play on words: "Leverkusen finally take off – with 'BayAirFrance'. Oui, oui, Diaby.".
The Werkself now return to Bundesliga action: Bayer 04 travel to the capital on Sunday, 7 November (kick-off: 15.30 CET). Jonathan Tah and Co. play Hertha Berlin. That is followed across Europe by the next international break.
The Werkself conceded a goal at home for the first time since the beginning of January 67 minutes into the game against FSV Mainz 05 on Saturday. Jarell Quansah levelled late on for the final score of 1-1 to secure a point and avoid a first home defeat in six games. Bayer 04 were very critical of their performance after the game. The Werkself review.
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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…
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From special edition jerseys to fan banners, the home game against Mainz 05 was all about the many Bayer 04 fan clubs. Accordingly, a fitting tribute to the long-standing Werkself supporters was not to be missed during half-time in the Bundesliga match. Fernando Carro, CEO, honoured the up to 50-year anniversaries of six fan clubs in front of the coaches' benches at the BayArena.
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Werkself TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04's 1-1 draw against Mainz 05 on Matchday 24 of the 2025/26 Bundesliga season...
A late goal secured a point for Bayer 04 at home to FSV Mainz 05 in a match that saw the Black and Reds dominant in the second half. Despite lots of possession, the Werkself initially found few gaps and fell behind after 67 minutes when Sheraldo Becker scored in a Mainz counter-attack. In the closing stages, Leverkusen threw everything forward once again and equalised through Jarell Quansah (88').
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