Facundo Medina marked his return for Bayer Leverkusen with a goal. The Argentine international scored in a 3-0 friendly win over regional league side SV Straelen.
Medina, a close friend of Lionel Messi, had been sidelined with an injury. His comeback is a boost for the coach and squad, who are currently dealing with several absentees. In the Bundesliga, Bayer 04 sits fifth in the table with three points from two matches. Their record shows one win and one loss, with six goals scored and three conceded. This leaves Die Werkself three points behind leaders SC Freiburg.
The return of the defensive utility player comes at a good time. Alongside Medina, the club is currently without Guéla Doué, Kennet Eichhorn, Montrell Culbreath, and Nathan Tella. An up-to-date overview of the squad and injury status is available on our squad page. Medina can play both as a central defender and as a left-back, providing much-needed flexibility. His goal against Straelen also highlighted his offensive threat from set-pieces.
His close connection to Lionel Messi is well-known and has shaped his development. "Facundo has an incredible attitude and is always learning," a club insider was quoted as saying in Bild. The friendly appearance was primarily about regaining match sharpness and fitness.
The test match was an important building block in preparing for the next competitive fixture. Bayer Leverkusen travels to face FC Augsburg, currently sixth in the table, on September 12th. All upcoming fixtures are listed in the schedule. Such friendlies against lower-league opposition offer the chance to test tactical variations and give playing time to squad players and those returning from injury.
The clear 3-0 victory, with goals from Medina and two other players, boosted confidence. The team must now carry this positive energy into the Bundesliga, where they aim to keep pace with the top group. The current standings show that any missed opportunity can be costly.
Die Werkself enters the international break with mixed feelings. The win against Straelen was necessary, but focus is entirely on the clash with FC Augsburg. This away game is the next opportunity to collect points in the race for European places. The three-point gap to Freiburg is no cause for alarm yet, but it demands consistency.
The injury list remains a concern, though Medina's return is a first step towards easing the personnel situation. His full 90-minute run-out in the friendly was the most important signal. The squad will reconvene after the break to work specifically towards the game in Augsburg. Bayer Leverkusen's next competitive match is on September 12, 2026, at the WWK Arena.
