Six Leverkusen players with the Germany U23 squad secured the title in the round of friendlies in Murcia. As part of a European wide tournament, the team led by coach Katrin Peter played eight games over recent months. Germany beat Norway in the final 6-5 on penalties after a 0-0 scoreline after 90 minutes. The winner came from substitute Werkself midfielder Katharina Piljic. Her teammates Selina Ostermeier, Loreen Bender, Sofie Zdebel plus captain Kristin Kögel were in the starting XI. And Julia Mickenhagen was in the squad but did not come off the bench.
"We hoped for the further development and promotion of our players on the international stage with the reintroduction of the U23 national team and participation in the tournament with other top countries," said DFB sporting director Nia Künzer: "That is confirmed in my view." Germany progressed to the final with a 3-0 victory over the Netherlands – with Ostermeier, Zdebel and Kögel in the starting line-up plus U23 debutantes Bender and Piljic on the bench.
Werkself teammate Ruby Grant completed the same U23 international tournament playing for England with a 2-1 defeat against Spain and a 2-1 win against Belgium. The midfielder, signed by Bayer 04 from Swedish club BK Häcken in the winter, played 71 minutes in the first game but was on the bench for 90 minutes in the second match.
The international break ended in bitter disappointment for one Leverkusen duo. Delice Boboy and Estrella Merino Gonzalez missed out on qualifying for the U19 European Championships in June with Germany by a single goal. In the second qualifying phase, the team led by coach Michael Urbansky beat Israel (2-0) and Finland (1-0) in a mini tournament. But the Germany team lost 2-1 in the decider against the already qualified hosts Poland despite Boboy opening the scoring from a cross from a free kick by Merino Gonzalez (8') – a draw would have been enough to win the group and qualify for the tournament. Striker Boboy started in the second and third games, Merino Gonzalez was the right-back in all three matches.
Karolina Lea Vilhjalmsdottir played a blinder in the UEFA Women's Nations League. The striker scored her first hat-trick in her 51st international for Iceland in a 3-3 draw with Switzerland. The 23-year-old thereby almost secured a point for her team single-handedly. She received deserved applause when she was substituted on 87 minutes. Vilhjalmsdottir played 90 minutes in the previous 0-0 draw with Norway. Iceland have three points in Group A2 after four games.
Cornelia Kramer was on the bench in the two games for Denmark in Group A4. Germany's opponents at this summer's European Championships lost 2-1 to Wales and 3-0 against Italy.
The penultimate Bundesliga matchday of the calendar year marks the end of an eventful first half of the season for the Bayer 04 Women. After seven wins, one draw and four defeats from the first twelve games of the season, coach Roberto Pätzold's team can go above Werder Bremen in the table with a win on Friday, 12 December (kick-off: 18:30 CET).
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The third showdown in the VBL Club Championship 2025/26 kicks off for the Leverkusen eSports team this Thursday, 11 December (live on the B04eSports Twitch channel from 19:00 CET). In the online preliminary round, the Black and Red will once again take on six previously drawn opponents for a place in the Top 16 and the associated entry into the offline knockout round, which will take place at this third showdown on 19 December in Cologne. Showdown One winners Bayer 04 will face FC St. Pauli, who won the second showdown last month, among others. The lowdown on first three opponents in this online preliminary round.
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Alejandro Grimaldo, of course! With his late equaliser (88') in the Champions League clash against Newcastle United, the Spaniard rescued a point for the Werkself, who took the lead through an own goal by Newcastle's Bruno Guimaraes (13') but went with two goals for the visitors scored by Anthony Gordon (51') and Lewis Miley (74'). It was the third draw for Bayer 04 in the current 2025/26 campaign on matchday 6 in the UCL league phase.
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The Werkself will be looking to continue their run in the Champions League against Newcastle United on Wednesday, 10 December (kick-off: 21:00 CET). The two victories without conceding a goal at Benfica (1:0) and Manchester City (2-0) will hopefully be followed by a win at home at the BayArena. Against the English side, who have a player with a Black and Red past in their ranks, the way to victory could be through efficiency in attack and quick transitional play. The latter in particular has recently caused the Magpies problems away from home on the European stage. Fans can also get the stylish matchday sticker for their Sound of Dreams tour pass at the Bayer 04 Fanwelt. The matchday news.
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For the first time ever, Bayer 04 have reached the knockout phase of the UEFA Youth League. At the end of the league phase, the Leverkusen U19s secured a 2-1 home win against Newcastle United on Wednesday, 10 December. Montrell Culbreath scored before half-time and Ferdinand Pohl doubled the lead after the restart in the clash with the English side. The UCL youth competition continues at the beginning of February with the Round of 32, which will be played away from home without a second leg.
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