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.
Bayer 04 are away to Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb on Matchday 5 of the league phase of the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League. The game kicks off on Thursday 26 November at 18:45 CET at the Maksimir Stadium. All the information on ticket sales.
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It wasn’t just on the pitch that there was cause for celebration around the Werkself’s 2–1 home win against SC Freiburg. Plenty of happy faces could be seen near the dugouts at half-time too. Once again, CEO Fernando Carro, alongside former striker and club ambassador Stefan Kießling, paid tribute to eight supporters’ clubs celebrating up to their 30th anniversary on behalf of Bayer 04.
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It was a match that will live long in the memory of everyone involved: The Bayer 04 U19s celebrated their seventh win in seven matches in the DFB Youth League preliminary round – and yet it was a very special victory indeed: in the 4–3 (1–1) win at VfL Bochum 1848, no fewer than five goals came in the final quarter of an hour. As the 90th minute approached, coach Patrick Greveraars’s side found themselves behind, but then fought back in true ‘Laterkusen’ style.
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Under Carles Martínez, the Werkself have so far proved unbeatable at the BayArena. The Spaniard has led his team to victory in all three of their most recent home matches – and, it's worth noting, without conceding a single goal. On Sunday, 18 October (kick-off: 15:30 CEST / live on DAZN and Werkself Radio), current league leaders SC Freiburg will make the trip to Leverkusen, but will be without their top scorer. What's more, the Werkself have won all three of their previous home matches against the Black Forest club. With a goal, Patrik Schick could not only secure a fourth consecutive victory but also set a memorable record. Meanwhile, on what will be the ‘Health Day' at the BayArena, much of the focus will be on physical wellbeing. Today's matchday news.
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Werkself-TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04 Women's 1-1 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt on Matchday 7 of the 2026/27 Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga.
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