
“We didn’t play well in the first half and we conceded possession too easily after winning the ball,” said coach Markus von Ahlen. That sort of situation saw the first goal conceded on 19 minutes when Schalke 04 mounted a quick counter-attack after gaining possession.
It was 2-0 a few minutes later when the hosts seized on the ball in the Bayer 04 penalty area and the Schalke forward turned the ball into the net on 26 minutes.
More risks after the break
“The team showed great spirit in the second half and they tried to get back in to the game,” said von Ahlen in praise of his players. The Werkself youngsters took more risks after the restart, had more of the game and created more chances.
Güven Yalcin missed the target twice when well placed in front of the Schalke goal. The Royal Blues also had more space up front but were unable to improve on their two-goal lead. The game ended in a 2-0 win for Schalke.
Home game against Bielefeld on Wednesday
After the 3-2 defeat away to Dynamo Dresden in the DFB Youth Cup, the U19s also lose to Schalke in the Bundesliga. The Bayer 04 U19 team play the first match at home on Wednesday night. Arminia Bielefeld are the visitors at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium with an 18.00 CET kick-off .
The team from East Westphalia drew 0-0 with local rivals SC Paderborn in their opening match. Entrance to the Ulrich Haberland Stadium is free.
Match stats:
FC Schalke 04 U19: Weiner - Göring, Hempel, Wiemann, Fleckstein, Kübler, Goller (Neiß 67’), Boujellab, Kutucu (Can 84’), Ceka (Ahrend 71’), Taitague (Yildiz 80’).
Bayer 04 U19: Kucz - Popovic (Samoura 38’), Stappmann, Boller, Arik (Fragapane 62’), Schreck, Yalcin, Tokac (Mbay 77’), Shala, Bukusu (Grym 72’), Akkaynak.
Goals: 1-0 Ceka (19’), 2-0 Ceka (26’).
Booked: / - Stappmann, Boller.
Referee: Fleddermann (Nordhorn).
Attendance: 500

A simple approach to sport with games, fun and a highlight at the end: Bayer 04 organised a very special training session for 40 participants aged between six and 27 in cooperation with the Football Association of the Middle Rhine (FVM). At the day of action for women and girls with disabilities at the Kurtekotten Performance Centre, many of the participants gained their first experience of football.
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On Saturday, 28 March, the lights will go out again at the BayArena from 20:30 pm to 21:30. As in previous years, Bayer 04 once again take part in the WWF Earth Hour campaign under the motto "We're switching off" as the club wants to set a collective example for more climate and environmental protection together with people, cities and companies around the world.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended the contract with forward Nathan Tella ahead of schedule. The versatile 26-year-old, who can be deployed as a right winger, false nine or left winger, has penned a new contract to 30 June 2031. Tella joined the Werkself from Championship club Southampton in 2023. His previous contract ran to the summer of 2028.
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Nathan Tella has extended his contract with Bayer 04 to 2031. In an interview with Werkself TV, the 26-year-old talks about fulfilling his dreams, his positive outlook on life and his goals for the future. He answers the questions in English - all except the last one, which he addresses directly to the fans...
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