Following the UEFA Europa League final against Atalanta on Wednesday, head coach Xabi Alonso made six changes to his starting line-up. Lukas Hradecky returned in goal instead of Matej Kovac, while Odilon Kossounou, Robert Andrich, Alejandro Grimaldo, Jonas Hofmann and Patrik Schick were also recalled.
With a deafening atmosphere inside Berlin's Olympiastadion, the final also got off to an intense start. Kaiserslautern pressed Bayer 04 high, but the Werkself were not unnerved and were steady in possession. Bayer first threatened through Jeremie Frimpong after 10 minutes, who beat two Lautern players with a strong run down the right, but the Dutchman then went for goal himself instead laying it off into the middle, with goalkeeper Julian Krahl saving. Just four minutes later, Florian Wirtz dribbled into the penalty area but again Krahl was on hand. With the pressure increasing from the Black-and-Reds, Granit Xhaka made it 1-0 shortly after with a curling long-range shot into the corner.
Leverkusen continued to dominate proceedings after the goal, with FCK largely camped in their own half. The next opportunity almost came to Schick in the 26th minute, but the Red Devils' defence cleared just before the ball could reach the Czech from Grimaldo's cross. The German champions were also neat in defence as Kaiserslautern barely appeared in attack. That made the incident shortly before half-time even more surprising: in a challenge on the halfway line, Kossounou, who'd already been booked in the third minute, caught Boris Tomiak on the foot and referee Bastian Dankert gave the defender his marching orders. And so the Werkself went into the dressing room a goal up but a man down.
The second half began with a delay as the game had to be paused due to pyrotechnics being set off. Dankert allowed play to continue in the 50th minute, and Bayer 04 resumed control despite having a man less. Half-time substitutes Amine Adli and Josip Stanisic were a threat straight away, with Adli having a go from distance in the 55th minute and then Stanisic narrowly missing the target with a header from Grimaldo's subsequent corner. After that, the ten-man Werkself went a bit more defensive, allowing Kaiserslautern to see more of the ball. Substitute Ragnar Ache had the best chance up to that point for Friedhelm Funkel's side in the 62nd minute, but Hradecky stretched himself long to tip the low shot behind.
The Black-and-Reds frequently broke up FCK's attacks, such as in the 74th minute, when Wirtz won the ball in his own half before driving forward and then playing in Frimpong, who had run up with him. The wing-back rounded goalkeeper Krahl but then didn't shoot, instead passing into the middle, where no one was stood. The Werkself became more attacking again towards the end of the match and allowed their opponents hardly any relief. Alonso's men created a number of chances, but neither Frimpong or Wirtz could wrap it up with a second goal. After six minutes of stoppage time, it finished 1-0 - Bayer 04 claimed the second DFB Pokal success in the club's history as well as the 2023/24 domestic double!
The "Coming Home" festival at the BayArena provides the crowning finale to this extraordinary 2023/24 season. The Werkself squad will arrive at Cologne/Bonn Airport around 13:30 CEST on Sunday 26 May. They will then travel in the team bus to Morsbroich Castle to sign the city of Leverkusen's Golden Book. From there, the team will travel to the BayArena in a parade of open-top vehicles. The main event then takes place, of course, at the BayArena. Gates open at 12:30, and from 13:30 fans can expect a stage programme with various highlights. Until the Werkself arrive at the BayArena in the late afternoon, fans at the stadium can enjoy the performances and also follow the team's route on the big screens. There's more information on the parade route, the acts and other points HERE.
Match stats:
Kaiserslautern: Krahl - Zimmer (Touré 90'+3), Tomiak, Elvedi, Puchacz - Kaloc, Raschl (Klement 83') - Zolisnki (Tachie 74'), Ritter, Redondo (Opoku 83') - Hanslik (Ache 46')
Bayer 04: Hradecky - Kossounou, Tah, Tapsoba - Frimpong, (Tella 90'+4), Xhaka, Andrich, Grimaldo (Hincapie 85') - Hofmann (Adli 46'), Wirtz (Hlozek 90'+4) - Schick (Stanisic 46')
Goals: 0-1 Xhaka (16')
Yellow cards: Elvedi
Red cards: Kossounou
Referee: Bastian Dankert (Rostock)
Attendance: 74,322 at Berlin's Olympiastadion
Following last weekend’s big game against Wolfsburg, Bayer 04 Women face another exciting challenge as they visit Hoffenheim to kick off Matchday 3 in the Google Pixel Bundesliga on Friday (kick-off: 18:30 CEST).
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Under the slogan ‘Holidays without War’, 60 children from war-torn Ukraine took part in the summer camp organised by the German-Ukrainian association Blau-Gelbes Kreuz in Leverkusen and the surrounding area in August. The children aged between 10 and 14 – many of whom have lost their parents in the war – come from the Ukrainian twin towns of Leverkusen, Cologne and Monheim am Rhein: Nikopol, Dnipro and Volodymyr. Bayer 04, Bayer AG and TSV Bayer 04 supported the camp to mark its 10th anniversary, enabling even more children and young people than in previous years to spend a few carefree days’ holiday away from the war in the Rhineland.
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Midfielder Ruby Grant is leaving Bayer 04 Leverkusen and joining Portuguese runners-up Sporting CP a year before her contract expires. The 24-year-old has been at the Werkself since January 2025.
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Bayer 04 have loaned Brazilian full-back Arthur to Bundesliga side Werder Bremen for one year. Arthur Augusto de Matos Soares – the full name of the right-back – has a contract with Leverkusen until 30 June 2031. At Werder, the 23-year-old is expected to make an impact and help the long-established club further consolidate their position in the Bundesliga.
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