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.
Werkself-TV shows the highlights of the Bayer 04 women's 1-2 loss against VfL Wolfsburg on the 2nd matchday of the Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga 2026/27.
In the 3-2 defeat at Bundesliga newcomers SV 07 Elversberg, the Werkself found the back of the net in the closing stages and, with a bit of luck, could still have equalised. “Today, our play wasn’t good enough, particularly when it came to the basics,” said head coach Carles Martínez. Like the boss, Ibrahim Maza also wants to learn from the match and look ahead: “Next week, people should be able to see from the very first minute that we want it more than our opponents.” The Werkself review on the Bundesliga opener in 2026/27.
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No points to start the league campaign: Bayer 04 lost 3-2 away to newly promoted SV 07 Elversberg in the first Bundesliga match of the 2026/27 campaign. Two quick-fire goals from Lukas Petkov (8’) and Cole Campbell (10’) gave the hosts an early lead, before David Mokwa scored the Saarland side’s third shortly after half-time (46’). In the closing stages, the Werkself rallied and staged a late comeback with goals from Patrik Schick (77’) and Christian Kofane (90+1’), but the Black and Reds were denied an equaliser.
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The Black and Reds kick off the new Bundesliga campaign today, Saturday 29 August (kick-off 15:30 CEST), away to newly promoted SV 07 Elversberg – and the Werkself will come up against a familiar face who is currently causing a stir at ‘Elv’. For an affordable and easy journey to the Saarland, the 1,600 travelling fans can still use the WERKSELFgo car-share platform. Today’s matchday news..
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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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