The fact that this team can play very good football in spite of having less familiar players, was experienced first-hand by Bayer 04 in the game at the start of the month. The Werkself did end up with a 4-2 win but were behind thanks to a brace from the impressive striker Elton Acolatse. A performance the Israelis can be proud of. And the displays in the other two group matches against Slavia Prague (3-1) and Nice (0-1) were also very impressive.
The team would gladly have taken that form into the league but Hapoel have recently discovered they are two different competitions. At home against Kfar Saba, a few days after the game against the Werkself, they could only manage a goalless draw and last weekend, Be'er Sheva lost 2-0 at FC Ashdod and have now slipped down to tenth place. "It's a different way of playing than in Europe," said coach Yossi Abukasis following the defeat. "We have to contribute different facets of our game." So he could almost be happy to now return to the international stage where his team have impressed with their lightning fast counter-attacking football.
One thing will probably will be crucially different from the last time. Captain and defensive stalwart Miguel Vitor, the absolute centre of the defence and Israel's Player of the Year in 2017, suffered a thigh muscle injury in the draw against Kfar Saba and he had to be substituted. The Portuguese did not play at the weekend and the central defender will probably miss the game against the Werkself. His role as the organiser of the defence and captain will probably be taken by Loai Taha. The Israeli international, with twelve caps, will celebrate his 31st birthday at the BayArena on Thursday.
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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It is an expression of solidarity and a tribute to the unique fan culture Under the Cross: Bayer 04 Leverkusen make a special statement with the "50 Years of Fan Clubs" jersey. To mark the founding of the "First Fan Club 1976 Leverkusen", which was followed by many more over the years right up to the present day, the Bundesliga club is commemorating 50 years of passion with this new jersey. Highs and lows, successes celebrated together as well as defeats suffered are manifested in this piece of white fabric, a symbol of unwavering identification with the Werkself.
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There’s lots going on at the BayArena today. The home game against FSV Mainz 05 is all about the numerous Bayer 04 fan clubs, whose birth - the founding of the "1. Fanclub 1976 Leverkusen" - dates back 50 years. A number of fan club representatives will be involved in awards, a banner display and a half-time matchday chat, and the Werkself are set to play in a special white fan club jersey. During half-time, Leverkusen mayor Stefan Hebbel and javelin world champion Steffi Nerius will also talk about the Olympic bid involving Leverkusen. Black and Red fans are advised to get to the stadium in good time today. Matchday news.
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The Werkself host Premier League club Arsenal in the Round of 16 first leg in the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League campaign. The match at the BayArena is on 10/11 March. Read on for information on ticket sales for this fixture.
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