9.
3:38 p.m
Great for Bayer Leverkusen, 1-0 by Victor Boniface
5.
3:36 p.m
Bayer is immediately there and lets the ball run nicely through their own ranks. Victor Boniface takes the first shot from the edge of the penalty area and his deflected shot misses the goal a little to the right.
2.
3:33 p.m
As mentioned, Leverkusen is playing in a 3-4-3 system again, the guests are playing in a 4-2-3-1.
1.
3:33 p.m
The ball is rolling! Leverkusen plays in red and black, Heidenheim wears white.
1.
3:31 p.m
Game start
15:27
The game will be led by referee Christian Dingert and his assistants Benedikt Kempkes and Nikolai Kimmeyer. Günter Perl is responsible for the video evidence today.
3:25 p.m
Unsurprisingly, this encounter has never happened before at league level. But a meeting has already taken place and it was very surprising that it went to the FCH. In the round of 16 of the DFB Cup, the then second division team managed a 2-1 win against Bayer 04.
15:11
Another look at the starting lineups: Xabi Alonso had rotated around internationally a bit during the week, but has now switched back and is back to the 3-4-3 that has proven itself in the league. Keeper Hrádecký is back in the first eleven, as are Hofmann, Kossounou and Frimpong. Instead, Kovář, Adli, Stanišić and Tella move to the substitutes’ bench. Meanwhile, Frank Schmidt only makes one change. Dovedan storms in place of Pieringer (bench).
3:02 p.m
Schmidt and his team “felt a lot of euphoria” after their first Bundesliga win, but then quickly turned their focus back to today’s opponents. “We now have to turn our happiness into work because we are going to Leverkusen and have an extremely difficult away game,” the league’s longest-serving coach told his players. Why Bayer is so strong in Schmidt’s eyes? “Leverkusen is a team that is really good in possession of the ball, is very variable and plays a lot through the center and only simply occupies the wing. They are also pass-proof. There are a few tasks that are waiting for us.”
14:52
Xabi Alonso warned in advance not to take the promoted team lightly. “Heidenheim has good energy and a huge fighting heart, we saw that against Bremen and Dortmund. I also remember their promotion game last season – that was crazy,” said the Spaniard, who wants to “show strong duels” with his team. “We have to act courageously and be prepared for every style of play,” demanded the Bayer coach, who also had words of praise for his counterpart Frank Schmidt in advance: “I have great admiration for him and I’m looking forward to getting to know him on Sunday. So Being in a leadership position for a long time and in such an intense job is unique and not easy.”
2:40 p.m
The guests from Heidenheim were also able to cheer recently. After the first Bundesliga point in the club’s history was scored in the 2-2 draw in Dortmund, the first three-pointer in the German elite class was achieved with the 4-2 win against Werder Bremen last weekend. Eren Dinkci contributed a brace to this victory on the day of coach Frank Schmidt’s 16th anniversary. Can FCH now also annoy the strong Leverkusen team? The guests could have advantages in terms of energy because, unlike Bayer, they didn’t just play three days ago, but had a week to prepare for this game.
2:31 p.m
Bayer Leverkusen continued their impressive start to the season during the week and also got off to a dream start internationally. The Werkself swept BK Häcken 4-0 at the start of the Europa League. This means that the Rhinelanders remain unbeaten this season and only dropped one point at the Bundesliga summit in Munich. A three-pointer against the newcomers from Hoffenheim is of course firmly planned today in order to draw level with league leaders Munich again on points.
2:30 p.m
Hello and welcome to the first Sunday game on the fifth matchday of the Bundesliga! Bayer 04 Leverkusen hosts 1. FC Heidenheim in the BayArena at 3:30 p.m.!