Back
12.12.2021Bundesliga

First defeat for the Werkself on the road in Frankfurt

The Werkself suffer the first away defeat of the season in the Bundesliga on Sunday. Bayer 04 lost 5-2 at Eintracht Frankfurt. A brace from Patrik Schick put the Black and Reds 2-0 in the lead but Eintracht turned the game around in the second half.
crop_20211212_JS_SGEB04_0562.jpg

Edmond Tapsoba and Charles Aránguiz were the only two starters from the side that lost 1-0 away to Ferencváros . Captain Lukas Hradecky returned in goal and Patrik Schick started as the lone striker. Head coach Gerardo Seoane entrusted Moussa Diaby and Amine Adli on the wings. Jeremie Frimpong, Jonathan Tah, Piero Hincapie, Robert Andrich and Florian Wirtz completed the starting line-up against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Schick shot on the turn, then from the spot

Bayer 04 got off to a dream start with the ball in the back of the Frankfurt net after just five minutes: Wirtz broke into the box and played a back-heel pass to Andrich who moved the ball onto Schick in front of goal. The Czech Republic striker did not delay and scored the opener with a shot on the turn. The Werkself continued to press, were compact at the back and quickly broke up the hosts’ build-up play. That effort was duly rewarded: Eintracht’s Djibril Sow handled the ball in his own penalty area and referee Marco Fritz awarded a spot kick after consulting the video screen. Schick coolly converted to make it 2-0 (22').

crop_20211212_JS_SGEB04_1126.jpg

Frankfurt hit back

The game turned into an end-to-end encounter within a few minutes as Eintracht Frankfurt endeavoured to get on the front foot: First, central defender Tuta made it 2-1 from a corner (23'), and then Jesper Lindström scored from a brilliant pass from Sow to level at 2-2 – the Danish midfielder slotted the ball into the bottom left corner on the half-hour mark.

The scoreboard showed the two sides level and Leverkusen had to make sure they didn't lose the plot. The Seoane team did recover after conceding the second goal. The match became increasingly competitive with both teams not giving an inch and dozens of intensive duels dominated this phase of the game. There were no more clear-cut chances in the first half so the two sides went into the break with the scoreline at 2-2.

Ndicka and Jakic turn the game on its head

The Werkself were hit again a few minutes after the restart: From a corner, the ball landed up with defender Evan Ndicka. He retained his focus and put the ball away to make it 3-2 (50'). Eintracht kept their foot on the gas as they looked to add another goal straightaway. It was down to Lukas Hradecky to keep the Eagles out. The skipper first kept out an effort from Rafael Borré (52') and then from Filip Kostic (56'). At the other end, Diaby had a chance to level but he failed to connect properly and the ball went wide of the left-hand upright (57') leaving the score at 3-2.

crop_20211212_JS_SGEB04_1207.jpg

There was hardly a moment to get a breather as the next goal came just nine minutes after Diaby's chance – and again it was the hosts who celebrated: After Hincapie cleared the ball it fell to Kristijan Jakic who fired a half-volley into the net leaving Hradecky with no chance (66'). It was now 4-2 to the Eintracht.

eintracht in a frenzy

Bayer 04 faded up front while Eintracht worked themselves into a frenzy. Everything went right for the hosts: Borré laid the ball back to Sow on the edge of the box and he hit a long-range shot into the top right corner of the net – an absolute wonder goal and again no chance for Hradecky (76'). Seoane reacted by bringing on Karim Bellarabi, Nadiem Amiri and Lucas Alario as fresh legs for the attack. However, they were unable to prevent the first away defeat in this Bundesliga campaign. The game ended in a 5-2 win for Eintracht.

The Werkself have little time to recover before the next challenge. The Black and Reds are at home to TSG Hoffenheim on Wednesday, 15 December. The kick-off at the BayArena is at 20.30 CET. The final match in this calendar year is in exactly one week's time. Bayer 04 are away to SC Freiburg on Sunday, 19 December.

Match stats:

Eintracht Frankfurt: Trapp – Tuta, Hinteregger, Ndicka – da Costa (Toure 84'), Sow (Rode 85'), Jakic, Kostic – Kamada (Lammers 87'), Lindström (Hauge 46', Lenz 64') – Borré

Bayer 04: Hradecky – Frimpong (Bellarabi 75'), Tah, Tapsoba, Hincapie – Aránguiz (Palacios 67'), Andrich (Demirbay 67') – Diaby, Wirtz (Amiri 80'), Adli – Schick (Alario 80')

Goals: 0-1 Schick (5’), 0-2 Schick (22’ pen.), 1-2 Tuta (23’), 2-2 Lindström (30’), 3-2 Ndicka (50’), 4-2 Jakic (66’), 5-2 Sow (76’)

Booked: Frimpong, Aránguiz, Hincapie

Referee: Marco Fritz (Korb)

Attendance: 12,000

Related News

Bayer 04 gegen Inter Mailand
Champions League - 12.11.2024

Tickets for UCL home game against Inter Milan

In the third home fixture in the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League campaign, the Werkself entertain the Italian champions Inter Milan at the BayArena. The game on Matchday 6 is on Tuesday, 10 December (kick-off: 21.00 CET). Read on for the information on ticket sales for this game.

Show more
Torjubel der Bayer 04-Frauen
Women - 10.11.2024

Sixth win in nine games: Women beat Turbine Potsdam

A sixth win in the ninth game of the season for the Bayer 04 Women: After a dominant performance against newcomers Turbine Potsdam, the team under coach Roberto Pätzold are hard on the heels of the leading trio in the Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga. In the 3-0 home win at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium, the Werkself goals were scored by Kristin Kögel (4’), Cornelia Kramer (13’) and Lilla Turanyi (62’). Leverkusen remain in fourth place on 20 points two points behind league leaders VfL Wolfsburg and level-pegging with Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayern Munich.

Show more
crop_20241109_JS1_8020.jpg
Bundesliga - 10.11.2024

Werkself review #BOCB04: ‘We have to learn how to deal with taking the lead'

Once again in the current Bundesliga campaign, Bayer 04 concede late and draw. The 1-1 scoreline between Bayer 04 and VfL Bochum, who produced a fighting display under new coach Dieter Hecking to secure their second point of the season, is the third draw for the Werkself in succession. Xabi Alonso and the team led by captain Lukas Hradecky clearly expressed their dissatisfaction after the game. Reaction, stats and facts can be found here in the Werkself review.

Show more
Werkself held to late 1-1 draw in Bochum | 10th matchday
Werkself-TV - 09.11.2024

TV highlights of 1-1 draw at VfL Bochum

Werkself-TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04’s 1-1 draw at VfL Bochum on the 10th matchday of the 2024/25 Bundesliga campaign…

Show more