Bayer 04 Discovers Total Champions League Control

When Bayer 04 Leverkusen plays football these days, it sometimes feels like watching a high-end coffee machine in action: press a button, and everything just works. Against Villarreal, this wasn't a Champions League group stage match — it was a black-and-red masterclass. A 3-0 win that felt more like a tutorial. Villarreal? They were basically guests at their own defeat. With over 75% possession at times and pass accuracy stats that would make a metronome jealous, Bayer looked more in control than a Swiss train schedule.

Malik Tillman had his breakout night in a Bayer shirt – and of all places, on a pressure-filled European evening. In seasons past, these were the nights when Leverkusen's European dreams would quietly trip over their own shoelaces. But this time? Tillman scored twice, first by chasing down a hesitant keeper and rebounding the ball straight into the net – football’s answer to a pickpocket with perfect timing. The second? A clean strike with sniper-like precision. It was clinical, confident – dare we say, mature.

And then there’s Grimaldo. At this point, the guy scores in the Champions League more reliably than Deutsche Bahn announces delays. His volley to make it 3-0 was so well-timed and pure that you half expected UEFA to frame it in a museum. From there, it was all control: passing triangles, calm build-up play, and Villarreal players chasing shadows like confused interns on their first day.

Hjulmand on the sideline continues to radiate the calm of a man solving a Sudoku with his eyes closed. The team moves with the clarity of a plan, not a hope – something that hasn’t always been guaranteed in recent Bayer campaigns.

Sure, a little fan skepticism remains: it *was* just Villarreal. The upcoming play-off tie – either Olympiakos or Dortmund – will be a different animal. And if it’s Dortmund? Well, we know that script far too well: chaos, nerves, and at least three near heart attacks. But you know what? We’re ready for it. Because for once, Bayer doesn’t just feel like a team surviving Europe. It feels like a team that belongs here.

And that, dear friends, is a weirdly wonderful feeling.

Three Points, No Sparkle – But We’ll Take It

Finally! Three points. A clean sheet. No injuries. That sounds like a solid football evening at the BayArena – or at least a mildly satisfying one, given how 2026 had started for us. After three matches without a win, the 1–0 victory over Werder Bremen was exactly what the long-suffering Bayer fan needed: a heartbeat. Not a fireworks display, not a tactical masterpiece, but at least not another mess to clean up.

Sure, we could pretend to get excited – Lucas Vázquez scored his first goal for Bayer, and it turned out to be the match-winner. But let’s not kid ourselves: this engine is still sputtering. The Werkself is currently more old diesel van than electric turbo. Solid, loud, and just about reliable – but you wouldn't take it for a spin on the Autobahn.

The finishing? About as clinical as a drunk playing darts. Schick scored, but used his hand – maybe not the birthday gift he was hoping for. The rest of the chances? Mostly wasted, nervy, or comfortably handled by Bremen’s keeper.

That said, let’s not be ungrateful. Bremen were annoying, like soggy socks on a cold day – not dangerous per se, but definitely capable of making life miserable. But the defense held firm, Palacios made a very welcome return, and we actually scored a goal that counted. Progress!

And just to sweeten the evening: Bayern lost. Yes, really. Against Augsburg. Which means our glorious unbeaten Bundesliga season record from 2023/24 still stands. They might end up champions again – probably will – but they won’t do it without a scratch like we did. Small victories, people. We take what we can get.

So what’s the takeaway? This win was important – not pretty, not convincing, but necessary. For the table. For the confidence. For the sanity of every Bayer fan. There’s still work to be done, especially with Villarreal on the horizon. But at least we’re back on the right track. Not flying, not even cruising – but at least moving forward again. And for now, that’s enough.

Two Shots, Two Goals, Too Much Bayer – A Night in Athens to Forget

If you’ve ever wondered whether 738 passes are enough to win a Champions League game, here’s your answer: absolutely not. Welcome to the strange and beautiful world of Bayer 04 Leverkusen – the only club in Europe capable of controlling a match from start to finish and still walking off the pitch with a big fat zero on the scoreboard.

It ended 0:2 in Athens, not because Olympiacos were the better team, but because they were the colder one. Two shots on target, two goals, job done. Bayer, on the other hand? Possession, pressing, pretty patterns – and as toothless in front of goal as a retired Pomeranian after dental surgery.

This was classic Werkself: dominant, determined, delightful to watch – and completely allergic to scoring. Sure, it was Matchday 7 (because UEFA group stages are now more confusing than Greek tax law), but it felt like the first time this team really played like a knockout contender. Just without the result.

There were positives, of course. Blaswich made his debut, Vázquez returned to the starting XI, and Aleix García pinged 120 passes like a metronome on steroids. But for all the midfield orchestration, it was once again a masterclass in how to lose a game you’re supposedly in charge of.

Olympiacos did what Bayer couldn’t: they made their moments count. Meanwhile, the Werkself wasted chance after chance, running into Tzolakis – who now probably qualifies for honorary citizenship in Leverkusen, given how often he’s ruined our evenings.

And so we fans are left in familiar territory: proud of the performance, frustrated by the result, and stuck somewhere between belief and the usual Bayer blues. Yes, we’ll keep the faith – it’s part of the deal. But it’d be nice to get goals and points alongside the pretty passing charts.

Next up? Bremen at home. Perfect chance to show that this team can do more than just *almost* score. If not, we’ll be back here talking about pass accuracy and “expected goals” while the Champions League slips further away. Again.

Sinsheim? More like Sinn-crisis

There are games you just want to forget — and then there’s the 0-1 loss in Hoffenheim. A match so uneventful that even the stadium beer probably fell asleep mid-pour. Sure, you could say, “Tight game, narrow loss, it happens.” But two games into the new year and two straight defeats? That’s not “just bad luck,” that’s a full-blown wobble — and we might want to check if someone hit the panic snooze button.

The idea wasn’t bad, to be fair: lots of possession, control, minimal chaos — exactly the strategy you’d want against a team like Hoffenheim, who prefer counterattacks and set pieces. Unfortunately, we conceded a goal from a free-kick after just nine minutes. Flekken looked like he was briefly daydreaming about brunch. The ball went in, and so did our early optimism.

From then on? Plenty of effort, zero punch. It was almost tragicomic how toothless we looked when we did manage to reach their box. Maybe someone forgot to mention that *shooting* is allowed. Schick had the best chance, but when you strike the ball like it’s a balloon at a kid’s party, you're not going to trouble a Bundesliga defense.

And as if things weren’t already dreary enough, both Tella and Flekken went off injured. Of course. Because nothing says “happy away day” like two forced subs and no goals. On the plus side, Janis Blaswich made his debut — calm, composed, didn’t do anything dramatic, which frankly feels like a small miracle these days.

Now the players and coach are all saying the usual: "We have everything we need to be more stable." Great. But right now, this team has about as much stability as a wobbly IKEA table without instructions. Four goals conceded against Stuttgart, now this lifeless display in Hoffenheim — that’s not a bump in the road, that’s a detour into mediocrity.

But hey, we fans are built different. We live off hope and caffeine. Champions League in midweek, Bremen at home next. Maybe — just maybe — it’ll click again. And if not? Well, being a Bayer 04 fan has always been a mix of faith and frustration. Let’s just hope this rough patch doesn’t turn into a full-blown.

Roof Fail and Northern Gales: Leverkusen Trip to Hamburg Blown Off Course

Great. You mark your calendar for a spicy midweek cup clash under the floodlights — HSV vs. Bayer 04, a proper throwback with a bit of football romance — and what do we get? Not goals, not drama, not even a dodgy VAR call. We get… melting snow.

The Volksparkstadion, that concrete tribute to 90s nostalgia and eternal second division dreams, got shut down last minute due to *“static risks caused by thawing conditions.”* Translation: the roof couldn’t handle a bit of wet snow. Apparently, the sudden northern heatwave turned the snow on the stadium roof into slushy point loads that had some poor structural engineer waving the red flag. Game off. No plan B. Just good old Hanseatic crisis management.

Of course, safety first — we don’t want Robert Andrich getting flattened by a rogue icicle, or Kasper Hjulmand trying to explain in the post-match presser how our tactical plan melted along with the roof. But really, you’d think a Bundesliga stadium might be ready for a bit of German January. Instead, fans who took time off work, booked travel and braved the cold got a nice look at some wet scaffolding and a long ride home.

Meanwhile, back in Leverkusen, we’d probably play through volcanic ash and alien invasion if the DFL asked nicely. But Hamburg? Cancelled due to weather. It fits the club somehow — always somewhere between promotion dreams and existential crisis, now with bonus roof drama.

Now it’s up to the DFL to squeeze in a new date between our packed Bundesliga calendar, a looming Pokal semi-final, and whatever European adventures await. We’re already looking forward to the replay — maybe on a Wednesday at 11:30 AM, clear skies, 27 degrees, and no roof at all. Just to be safe.

New Year, Same Old Frustration: Cheers from the Horror Zone

Well then, happy new year. If you thought Bayer 04 would kick off 2026 with a bang, you were technically right – just not the kind of bang we hoped for. A 1–4 home defeat to Stuttgart. At home. In the BayArena. And honestly, the game was over before halftime. Stuttgart used to be our favourite punching bag. Now we’re their life coach, helping them work through past traumas with generous gifts. Therapy in red and black.

The Werkself looked less like a team returning from a focused winter training camp and more like they'd been on a mindfulness retreat. Yes, we had possession. But ideas? None. Passion? Missing. Physicality? Only from Stuttgart. That post-match honesty from Grimaldo and Quansah? Appreciated, but painfully telling. When your own players are apologising like they broke your favourite vase, it says a lot.

Sure, we were missing players – Africa Cup, injuries, the usual suspects. But that doesn’t explain why the whole squad seemed to be playing with the handbrake on. Stuttgart was simply sharper, hungrier, more switched-on – and, let’s face it, smarter.

There were some positives, if you squint: Fernández back in the starting XI, Grimaldo’s penalty taking his stats up a notch, and the second half at least looked like professional football again. Small steps, we tell ourselves, because we have to. Because we were "only" 12 points behind Bayern before the break. Now? It’s not the loss itself that stings. It’s how we lost – with a shrug instead of a fight.

Next up: HSV, away, under the lights. A freshly promoted side, in January chill – the perfect setting to prove we still remember how to play football. And not just how to gift goals. No more excuses. We want a Werkself that earns its name again: a team that works, grinds, pushes. Not one that lets itself get pantsed before the first half ends.

Otherwise, the dream of a title challenge might turn into a Europa League scrap faster than you can say “Angstgegner.”