What the papers say: Lots of praise for Palacios – and the fans

In their match report, the EXPRESS leads with an historical fact – and looks forward at the same time: “With their biggest win in the Europa League, the Bayer team have already laid the foundations to go through to the knockout rounds,” the paper reports.

The Westdeutsche Zeitung looks at the external circumstances. “Goal feast in constant rain,” was the headline of the report but went on to describe the impressive opening phase for the Werkself: “When the downpour suddenly eased off ten minutes into the game, Bayer turned up the heat for a quarter of an hour to pitch the French back five, organised by the former Bayern treble winner Dante (37), into one quandary after the next.”

Also thanks to “monster tackle”: Top marks for Palacios

The outcome: two early goals for the Werkself. The BILD uses the first letter the names of the two goalscorers in their headline: “Bayer celebrate their A team.” The report details: “Wonder goals from Nadiem Amiri (23) and Lucas Alario (28) set the Werkself on course for victory against OGC Nice early in the 6-2 win – the Bosz team have succeeded in making a brilliant start in the Europa League.” The decisive third goal from Moussa Diaby came from a “monster tackle from the outstanding Exequiel Palacios.” The reward for the Argentinian: Top marks in the individual assessment.

And the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger concurs with that praise. Their write-up also gives Palacios the best report of all the Werkself players – together with double goalscorer Karim Bellarabi. The midfielder “impressed in the middle from the start and showed what he can do very well: Passes into space that he sees earlier than everybody else.”

The Rheinische Post notes that 3-1 scoreline following Palacios‘ “exemplary winning possession” brought “a sense of security back into the game of the team under coach Peter Bosz.” The Werkself, writes the newspaper, “kept the ball and opponents moving in the closing stages and added further goals through Karim Bellarabi (79’/83’) and Florian Wirtz (87’).”

Banner as impressive support from the fans

The reports not only celebrated the team on the pitch but the fans also merited deserved praise – in spite of their absence. “Almost the whole of the East Stand was covered by a banner for the clash with Nice with the message ‘Werks11 - We for you, you for us’,” reports the Kölnische Rundschau. “That meant the Bayer players had the optical impression of not playing in an empty stadium. And the runaway 6-2 win against the team placed fourth in the French Ligue 1 rounded off a positive night of European football from the perspective of the hosts.”