Overview

• Patrik Schick scored twice (5', 64' pen) and debutant Malik Tillman added another as Bayer led 3-1 against Werder, who had Niklas Stark sent off before Romano Schmid (44' pen), Isaac Schmidt (76') and 18-year-old Karim Coulibaly (90+4') salvaged a draw.
• Bayer goalkeeper Mark Flekken made costly errors that preceded Bremen’s fightback, including a misjudged rush that allowed Schmidt to score into an empty net.
• Leverkusen captain Robert Andrich publicly criticized the team’s cohesion, and coach Erik ten Hag condemned a penalty-taking dispute between Patrik Schick and Exequiel Palacios while acknowledging challenges from an extensive rebuild.
• Injury-hit Werder leaned on youth, with Coulibaly recovering from early mistakes to become the late hero and deliver a morale-boosting point.
• Elsewhere, Eintracht Frankfurt won 3-1 at Hoffenheim as Ritsu Doan netted a brace and assisted Can Uzun, with the international break now pausing league play.