A Handful of Changes, Full Throttle Performance

In the cup match against Elversberg, Bayer Leverkusen delivered exactly what fans want to see when a Bundesliga team faces a second-division opponent: dominance, efficiency, and loads of focus. Patrik Schick made it clear early on that Bayer was aiming to advance to the round of 16 without any bumps along the way, scoring twice in the first ten minutes. Schick opened the scoring and doubled up just minutes later, showing that he’s got his striker’s instinct back after his injury pause.

This game also allowed head coach Xabi Alonso to mix up positions and manage player load, making a full eight changes to the starting lineup. Those given the nod were quick to seize their moment. From the outset, Bayer controlled the ball and demonstrated the kind of confidence that highlighted the difference in league levels. Aleix Garcia, a new addition more known for his precision in passing than scoring, dazzled fans with a superb free-kick goal for the 3-0 lead. His finish left the crowd cheering and showed just how versatile he could be for the team.

Elversberg managed more possession in the second half, but it wasn’t cause for concern. Bayer slowed the pace yet maintained control and allowed the visitors little space to work with. Ultimately, Bayer had everything under wraps. Alonso could even afford to offer a special moment to another up-and-coming talent: Francis Onyeka, a homegrown Leverkusen player, made his professional debut in a brief late cameo – a nice touch for the fans in what was ultimately a comfortable, expected win.

Even if matches like these are called "routine tasks," every football fan knows they sometimes end up being the trickiest games. But Bayer handled this one with ease. The depth of the bench gives Alonso the chance to rotate without losing quality. Seeing Schick, who hadn’t been in peak scoring form in the league, shine here is just the boost the team will need heading into upcoming league and Champions League challenges. Fans also celebrated Schick’s quick-fire goals, especially since this performance pushes him into Bayer’s top ten all-time scorers – a remarkable feat that underscores his value, despite his injury setbacks.

While this match might not be remembered as one of the season's most thrilling, Bayer once again proved how smoothly the squad is working together. Before the halftime break, they showed patience, excellent balance, and just the right intensity when it counted. The recent league hiccup against Bremen looks to be resolved, and the team is now playing with the necessary confidence. That’s crucial, as the next few opponents will pose very different challenges: first Stuttgart, then Liverpool, and then Bochum. With the Pokal’s round of 16 ahead, everything is still in play for Bayer.

A Heart for Suspense – Just Without the Happy Ending!

It's almost maddening: Bayer heads up to Bremen, takes the lead twice, and just as victory feels within reach, they end up returning to the Rhineland with only a single point. You’d almost think the team wanted to keep fans' adrenaline pumping to the last second. In some fairytale version of football, it’s sweet when the underdog manages a late equalizer. But for anyone who had to live through this weekend as a Bayer fan, a bit of stability in the closing minutes would be greatly appreciated.

Right from the start, this match promised fireworks. The floodlights at Bremen’s Weserstadion set a perfect stage, while Xabi Alonso surprised us with a starting eleven boasting seven changes from the Champions League draw against Stade Brest. And if you think rotation is a calming tactic, you don’t know Leverkusen. Victor Boniface wasted no time making his mark, converting a sharp cross from Frimpong to take an early lead. But that lead, however sweet, didn’t last long enough for us to enjoy a calm second half.

Bremen, equipped with indomitable fighting spirit, came back swinging in the second half. It wasn’t the first time we fans had to sweat through a powerful header, and Ducksch’s equalizer certainly raised the pulse. It was one of those “maybe things will calm down now” moments. But of course not. Leverkusen immediately upped the tempo, finding themselves back in front thanks to a bit of luck and a Bremener’s own goal. It was an odd one, sure, but just maybe the kind of luck you need for a solid away win.

Still, calm endings seem to evade us lately. Just like in the Champions League, we failed to hold onto a lead, and Bremen didn’t let up. When Romano Schmid sent his shot home in the 90th minute, the disappointment on the Leverkusen side was palpable. After so much effort to protect the lead, seeing it slip away in the last moment stung.

The return of the "draw curse" is certainly wearing on us. This team is overflowing with potential—as we saw in Bremen time and again. Our offensive trio of Boniface, Wirtz, and Frimpong sparkles with energy and danger, yet sometimes struggles to turn that excitement into results. Frimpong’s tribute to his injured teammate Adli was a beautiful moment that underscored the team’s solidarity. And with Lukas Hradecky celebrating his 200th Bundesliga game, we’re grateful for the Bayer legend in goal who continues to give his all, game after game.

What remains is to look forward. It’s early in the season, the challenges are growing, and the team has shown they’re capable of exceptional performances. This week brings two home games—a chance to regain the stability we need. Fans can look forward to the upcoming Cup clash against Elversberg and the Bundesliga showdown with Stuttgart. Both are opportunities to see Bayer in winning form once again—and, hopefully, to celebrate a satisfying happy ending.

Is it raining goals in Brittany? Unfortunately, not for us!

What a tough grind. In the Champions League, we usually expect magic moments, spectacular goals, and a dominant Bayer 04 that shows even the toughest opponents how it’s done. But not in Brittany, and certainly not against Stade Brest, a team that fully embraced the underdog role even before the match. It ended 1-1 – a result that feels as lukewarm as a Monday morning when your coffee is cold. There was more in it for us, wasn’t there?

The pre-game circumstances were as bizarre as they come. Victor Boniface, our goal machine, had to stay home after a car accident, and Xabi Alonso rotated his starting eleven by eight positions – which felt just as disjointed on the pitch as it sounds. Of course, we understand that even the backup players need trust and match practice, but sometimes you can’t help but wish we’d just field our strongest lineup and get the job done. While the Breton fans were rocking the stands with surprising energy in a stadium so small that you briefly wondered if we’d somehow dropped down to the Europa League, Bayer 04 struggled to get into the game.

The match itself meandered for the most part. Sure, Florian Wirtz dazzled us again with an early goal – something we can apparently rely on this season. Wirtz and early goals are like bread and butter right now. And yet, just as we were starting to enjoy the 1-0 lead, Brest hit back with an equalizer that came as suddenly as a November storm on the coast. The flow of the game? Anything but regal. At no point did it feel like we had things fully under control, and all those substitutions only added to the lack of rhythm.

So what do we take away from this? One point. Sure, in the group stage, every point counts, and we remain unbeaten. But let’s be honest – no true Werkself fan can be satisfied with that. Particularly gutting was the foul on Amine Adli in the dying minutes. Watching a player being stretchered off in pain puts all sporting ambitions into perspective. The injury clouded the result even further, leaving us with real concerns. That’s exactly what we didn’t want to take away from a game that was supposed to be a straightforward task.

We have to take the Champions League seriously, even against the so-called “small” teams. Stade Brest might not sound like a big name in European football, but the team from Brittany has already given Sturm Graz and Salzburg plenty of problems. And now, us too. We had hoped to brush these opponents aside on our way to the knockout rounds, but that’s the Champions League for you, and as they say, there are no easy games. Still, it leaves a bitter taste. Three points in Brest would’ve put us in the driver’s seat for the knockout stage. Now we’re in a position where every point will have to be fought for.

But hey, we’re still Bayer 04, and there’s no reason to hang our heads. The next matches are coming quickly – in the Bundesliga and in the cup, there’s no time to dwell on it. Let’s just hope the rotation doesn’t become the norm, and that we bounce back in full strength soon. The fans at the BayArena surely wouldn’t mind a few clear wins in the coming weeks – and especially a commanding performance in the Champions League.

Because one thing is clear: A 1-1 draw in Brest isn’t enough for us. We want more. Always.

Home Fortress Reloaded: Leverkusen Takes Back the BayArena

Finally, it's back: that familiar feeling when you walk into the BayArena knowing that no one's leaving here with points except us. After the unfortunate draw against Holstein Kiel and the international break, Bayer 04 has made a strong comeback against Eintracht Frankfurt with a hard-fought 2-1 victory. This wasn't just a win, it was a statement. Our home strength, which had been questioned a bit recently, is back. And just in time!

You might think the team would have crumbled mentally after the early penalty drama, when Boniface missed from the spot and Marmoush put Frankfurt in front. But no! Xabi Alonso has clearly injected a real winning mentality into the squad—no matter what happens, the boys stay focused. The coach spoke after the game about "great mentality and superb togetherness," and it showed. Where heads might have dropped in the past, this time they shifted up a gear. Robert Andrich, who was seemingly everywhere on the pitch, scored the deserved equalizer after a beautiful combination—this was no fluke, it was pure determination.

And then there was Boniface, who surely had to gather himself after missing that penalty but ended up being the hero of the night. His header in the 72nd minute to make it 2-1 wasn’t just beautifully worked, it symbolized this team’s comeback spirit. Mistakes happen—what counts is how you respond. And Boniface responded like a true striker.

What I personally loved: it wasn’t just the usual suspects shining. Sure, Andrich and Boniface were brilliant, but Martin Terrier, who provided his first assist for us, and the ever-present Granit Xhaka, who set the tone with a shot in the first minute, also played key roles in our dominance. And hey, 27 shots! That shows we're not just playing well but constantly creating danger. It was a tough battle, yes, but these are the games you have to win if you want to compete at the top.

Of course, we can’t forget the man between the posts: Lukas Hradecky celebrated his 300th Bundesliga game—the first foreign goalkeeper to ever reach that milestone! The fact that this landmark came against his former club made it even more special. While he couldn’t stop Marmoush’s penalty, he once again showed why he's so important to us. And his self-deprecating comment, "I guess that means I’m an old man now!" shows that despite all seriousness, he never loses his sense of humor.

This wasn’t just a victory. It was a statement! The return of the home strength we might have briefly lost earlier this season. Now things will come thick and fast, with the trip to Brest for the Champions League and then Bremen in the Bundesliga. But with the form these guys are showing right now, nothing should scare us.

So, dear Bayer family, savor this win! We’re back where we belong—and that’s not just the BayArena, but clearly at the top of the Bundesliga!

120 Years of Bayer – And Then This: When the Newcomer Crashes the Party

"Punkte verschenkt" – that's a feeling every Bayer fan knows all too well. You're up 2-0 after eight minutes, the celebration for the 120th anniversary is in full swing, and yet you only walk away with a point. Against Holstein Kiel. A newly promoted team. At home. In the sold-out BayArena, where the atmosphere was supposed to be jubilant. But somehow, there was that familiar sinking feeling in the pit of every Leverkusen fan's stomach: the tendency to turn sure victories into nail-biters.

Those first few minutes were perfect. Boniface and Hofmann both found the net, and Palacios – the Argentinian maestro celebrating his birthday – orchestrated both goals. 2-0, and it all looked like a relaxed afternoon, another routine win for Xabi Alonso in his 100th game as Bayer's manager. But instead of killing off Kiel, we let them back into the game. Why? Well, that’s what we’re all wondering. "Unfocused," Hradecky said. "Not smart enough," Alonso added. Whatever it was, it felt like someone flipped a switch – the wrong one, unfortunately.

Then, just before halftime, that goal came. Geschwill headed in after a corner – a typical Bayer goal to concede, if we're being honest. Set-piece goals have plagued this team for years. And what did Kiel do? They fought back. Not with dazzling play, but with persistence. Kiel fought, you have to give them that. But it wasn’t like they were outplaying us. It was Bayer 04 making things hard for themselves. There were plenty of chances, but the third goal never came. And then there was that penalty. Frimpong brought Gigovic down, Arp converted with ease. Suddenly, it was 2-2, and we fans were left wondering: "This can't be happening, can it?" But it did. Again.

The bitter part of this draw isn't just the dropped points. It was supposed to be a day of celebration: 120 years of Bayer 04, Xabi's 100th match, a packed stadium – and yet, in the end, we're left with a sour taste. Not because Kiel was so strong, but because we weakened ourselves. Hradecky called it "giving away points," and that’s spot on. You have to ask why, after such a dominant start, we stopped playing football. Why let the opponent back in instead of putting the game to bed?

Of course, there were positives: Palacios’ strong return to the starting eleven, Boniface scoring again, and the fact that this team is technically operating at a very high level. But that alone isn’t enough to win games like these. It takes more – consistency, cleverness, a little more ruthlessness perhaps. Because if you want to compete for the title, or at least stay near the top, you can't let games like this slip away.

And so we fans are left with mixed feelings once again. On the one hand, we know how good this team can be. On the other hand, we know how they can sometimes get in their own way. Sure, now there's the international break, followed by Eintracht Frankfurt at home. And maybe this little pause will help clear our heads. But one thing is certain: if Bayer 04 truly wants to compete at the top this season, they need to learn how to close out these kinds of games.

Milan or Madrid – as long as it’s a Champions League win!

It’s that time again: the Champions League has returned to the BayArena. And what a start! A 1-0 win over AC Milan, a sold-out stadium, and the best floodlit atmosphere you can imagine. There’s hardly anything better than Champions League nights in Leverkusen, when our boys show the giants of Europe that this "little" Bayer town can play with the best of them.

But honestly, a 1-0? It felt like we could’ve been up by two or three goals by halftime. Some Bayer fans might have found themselves wondering why we always seem to make it so hard on ourselves. It’s like the football gods want to keep things exciting for us. If you know Bayer, you know: clear leads don’t come without some nerve-racking moments. Still, credit where it’s due—at least there was no total heart attack this time. Well, apart from when Theo Hernandez hit the crossbar near the end, causing the entire stadium to collectively hold its breath.

Tactically, the game was textbook stuff. Xabi Alonso has definitely elevated this team to a new level, one we’ve been missing for quite some time. We calmly dismantled AC Milan, switching play quickly from side to side and picking them apart with through balls. Aleix Garcia, in particular, was a game-changer—it's like he has eyes in the back of his head. The way he sent passes to Frimpong and the others was just beautiful to watch. He’s also the guy who set up Grimaldo with that crucial pass before Frimpong’s shot was saved, and Boniface slammed it home. It was the kind of goal that shows we’re capable of scoring pretty as well as scrappy goals when it counts.

Boniface? He’s a joy to watch. Hard to believe it was his first Champions League goal ever, but it feels like many more will follow. You get the sense with him that he’s built for this level—calm and clinical. That’s exactly the kind of striker you need in Europe. No fancy tricks, no unnecessary dribbles—just put the ball in the net and move on. Perfect.

Sure, towards the end, we had that familiar feeling as Bayer fans: retreating into our own half, the opponent gaining momentum, and us sweating it out. Why does it always have to be like that? Only the football gods know. But this time, we held firm. Hradecky was there when we needed him, and the defense held, even as Milan threw everything at us. That’s the difference we’ve missed in past seasons. In the old days, we probably would’ve conceded a late equalizer, but not this time. Is it possible that we’re finally becoming a team that can see out tight games? It sure looks that way. Alonso seems to have turned the Werkself into a squad that doesn’t fear any opponent in the Champions League. And if we keep this up, the BayArena could witness a few more magical nights this season. Because one thing is clear: this team has what it takes to deliver.

But now, we turn our focus back to the Bundesliga. Holstein Kiel is coming up, and after the Champions League euphoria, it’s time to stay grounded! We know how it goes: these are exactly the kind of games where we could trip up. Still, with the form this team is in, nothing should stand in our way against the promoted side. Let’s see if Boniface can keep his streak going.