Back
3.02.2018Bundesliga

0-0 – Werkself pick up point at Freiburg

Bayer 04 drew 0-0 with hosts SC Freiburg in a very intense and hard-fought encounter. A fair result at the the end of the day even though the Werkself had the best chance of the game on eight minutes when a Lucas Alario header came back off the inside of the post. With Germany coach Joachim Löw looking on, both Jonathan Tah and Bernd Leno produced impressive performances. Bayer 04 are back in second place at least until the Sunday fixture between Eintracht Frankfurt and FC Augsburg.
Alario_Zweikampf.jpg

"It was a very physical approach from Freiburg and sometimes a bit over the top," said Werkself coach Heiko Herrlich after the final whistle. Julian Brandt took the following position: "It was a hard-fought game. We came up against exactly what we expected. Freiburg deserved a point in the end just as we did."

Freiburg were unbeaten in the previous eight games and the Werkself had only lost one of the last 15 Bundesliga matches – Heiko Herrlich declared the game to be an "absolute top match" given the form of the two teams and Julian Brandt saw it as "one of the hardest games of the season." Bayer 04 started with four changes to the previous line-up: Benny Henrichs played at right back in place of the skipper Lars Bender, Dominik Kohr came into holding midfield for the sidelined Julian Baumgartlinger, Kai Havertz and Karim Bellarabi replaced Julian Brandt and Kevin Volland. Heiko Herrlich stuck to his promise of shuffling his pack of 16 or 17 regular starters – given the busy period of fixtures with next challenge in the DFB Cup against Werder Bremen on Tuesday. Tin Jedvaj and Joel Pohjanpalo were also in the Werkself squad that again played in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Alario misses by inches

The hosts had the first two chances of the game on five minutes: However, Bernd Leno was alert to save with his feet from a Nils Petersen shot to the near post and then kept out the follow-up effort from Janik Haberer. The Werkself were soon up to speed going forwards: A Bellarabi cross from the right was met by Alario but his header came back off the inside of the post on eight minutes – just inches away from taking the lead. Bayer 04 were on the front foot from the start and quickly put the opposition under pressure with Alario and Havertz working hard in the build-up play. At the other end, with Germany coach Joachim Löw looking on, Leno was on his toes as he succeeded again in saving a left-foot shot from Tim Kleindienst with his feet on 18 minutes.

Freiburg were very physical and sometimes overzealous in challenges, which resulted in four yellow cards being shown in the first half with Wendell, Leon Bailey and Bellarabi on the receiving end of the tackles. A fine pass from Henrichs found the Jamaican but his drilled effort just after the half-hour mark flew wide of the top corner. It was much closer two minutes later when a Bailey header from an excellent Havertz cross went just over the bar. The two sides were level at 0-0 at the break. Bayer 04 had more of the game but Freiburg also produced good moves when they pressed forward with determination.

Kohr effort saved

And the second half began with a double chance for the hosts:  Lucas Höler failed to connect with a cross from Amir Abrashi and the impressive Tah succeeded in blocking the follow-up shot from Haberer on 50 minutes. This time, the Werkself counter-attacked straight away and were on the verge of scoring but the keeper Alexander Schwolow was able to hold onto a well-hit but too straight effort from Kohr on 52 minutes. The first substitution on 65 minutes saw Brandt replace Bailey on the wing. Volland later came on for Kohr with twelve minutes to play– Herrlich saw an increased threat and Havertz played deeper.

It remained a closely-fought encounter but with few real chances in the second half. Pohjanpalo came on for Bellarabi in the closing stages. Freiburg increased the yellow card count in the final minutes to seven. The match ended all square at 0-0 – this was the first time in 25 Bundesliga games that the Werkself have failed to find the back of the net. In a repeat of last weekend's game, the central defensive axis of Bernd Leno, Jonathan Tah, Sven Bender and Charles Aránguiz did an excellent job.

The match in Freiburg marked the start of a busy run of games for the Werkself. The next fixture is the quarter-final tie of the DFB Cup at the BayArena on Tuesday 6 February (kick-off 20.45 CET) followed by a home game against Hertha Berlin on Bundesliga matchday 22 on Saturday 10 February (15.30 CET).

Match stats:

SC Freiburg: Schwolow – Kübler, Söyüncü, Gulde, Günter – Koch, Abrashi – Haberer (Höfler 88'), Höler (Kath 69') – Petersen, Kleindienst

Bayer 04: Leno – Henrichs, Tah, S. Bender, Wendell – Aránguiz, Kohr (Volland 78') – Bellarabi (Pohjanpalo 85'), Havertz, Bailey (Brandt 65') – Alario

Goals:

Referee: Dr. Kampka (Mainz)

Booked: Günter, Kübler, Abrashi, Kleindienst, Haberer, Höfler, Kath – Kohr

Attendance: 24,000

sky_1802_gratisTrikot_300x250_b04.jpg

Related News

Loreen Bender bejubelt ihr Tor
Women - 16.03.2025

Women put six past Werder Bremen and set points record

The Bayer 04 Women's team impressively made amends against Werder Bremen one month after the unfortunate exit from the DFB Pokal at the quarter-finals stage. The team led by coach Roberto Pätzold clocked up a an emphatic 6-0 victory on Sunday afternoon. The outstanding Loreen Bender forced the first goal from a corner (2'), scored the second with an excellent long-range effort (39') and brilliantly set up the third goal. Carolin Kehrer netted a brace (50', 55'), with Cornelia Kramer (76') and Delice Boboy (79') also getting on the scoresheet. The afternoon was rounded off perfectly for the Leverkusen Women with a win that gives them 36 points from 17 games setting a new points record in their time in the Bundesliga.

Show more
El Bilal Touré, VfB Stuttgart
Bundesliga - 15.03.2025

Our next opponents: Hoeneß has more options again

After the fantastic last season when VfB Stuttgart finished runners-up to the Werkself, the current season is a more patchy affair for the Swabians. VfB are in the midfield of the table, but after four matches without a win, they aim to advance in the Bundesliga when they entertain Bayer 04 on Sunday 16 March (kick-off: 19.30 CET). Head coach Sebastian Hoeneß has more key players at his disposal again. The lowdown on our next opponents.

Show more
Die PK vor dem Sonntag-Abendspiel beim VfB Stuttgart | 26. Spieltag
Werkself-TV - 14.03.2025

Alonso ahead of #VfBB04: ‘Associate intense and emotional games with Stuttgart’

The final game before the international break takes Bayer 04 to Swabia. Ahead of the away game at VfB Stuttgart on Sunday, 16 March (kick-off: 19:30 CET), head coach Xabi Alonso talked about an "emotional" clash with last season’s runners-up and also provided an update on his squad.

Show more
Caroline Kehrer am Ball
Women - 14.03.2025

Women want to 'get even' against Werder Bremen

The Bayer 04 Women's team have the chance to make amends one month after the exit from the DFB Pokal in the quarter-final against Werder Bremen. On top of that, the Werkself are on the verge of a Bundesliga points record on Sunday, 16 March (kick-off: 14:00 CET at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium/live on MagentaSport and DAZN). Ahead of the game, there will be the chance to get autographs from the currently injured players Katharina Piljic and Vanessa Haim as part of the family matchday.

Show more