Setback for our number 11: Nadiem Amiri suffered a shoulder injury in the home game against the team from Berlin. The Germany international, who had to be substituted at half-time due to the injury, will now start rehab at the Werkstatt in the BayArena.
Amiri's teammate Karim Bellarabi was not only able to celebrate equalising at 1-1 and his assist to make it 3-1, but he was also named Man of the Match. With half of all the votes in the DFB poll, the 29-year-old came top ahead of Union’s Markus Ingvartsen and yesterday's Werkself captain Kai Havertz.
Bayer 04 fans shared that view on Twitter: Over 41% voted substitute Bellarabi as the Man of the Match. That put Bellarabi ahead of Charles Aránguiz (25.4%) and Moussa Diaby (23.4%). Goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky on Bellarabi's nomination: "He deserved to be the Man of the Match!"
After coming on for the second half, Werkself winger Moussa Diaby really shone in the DFB Cup quarter-final against Union Berlin. The new dad – his son Ismail is one week old – treated himself to the goal to make it 3-1 (90+1'). And a suitable celebration obviously had to follow (see photo).
An average of one million viewers (market share of 3.9%) watched the quarter-final game between the Werkself and Union Berlin on the free to air TV channel Sport1. At its peak, 1.4 million viewers switched on to Sport1. The highlights of the game on ARD at 23.00 CET were watched by 3.57 million viewers (market share of 20%).
Who the Werkself will play in the DFB Cup semi-finals will be revealed on Sunday night from 18.00 CET on the ARD Sportschau, which will be broadcast live from the German Football Museum in Dortmund. Bayer 04 goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky has expressed a wish for Germany women’s goalkeeper Almuth Schult who is making the draw: "Who do I want? Anyone but Bayern away." The Werkself and FC Bayern are joined in the draw by Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt and Regional League FC Saarbrücken. The latter are the first fourth division side in a DFB Cup semi-final – and they will be at home.
The initial fear that the former Bayer 04 central defender Ömer Toprak had suffered a fracture of the fibula was happily not confirmed. The 30-year-old Werder Bremen defender was fouled by Filip Kostic (90+1') in last night’s 2-0 defeat in the DFB Cup quarter-final against Eintracht Frankfurt. The Serbian was sent off while Toprak was carried off the pitch on a stretcher. An exact diagnosis has been confirmed: The Turk suffered a lacerated and contused wound to his calf. Toprak made 203 appearances for the Black and Reds between 2011 and 2017. He scored seven goals and provided five assists along the way. Bayer 04 wish him a speedy recovery and a quick comeback.
The Werkself are back in action on Saturday, 7 March (kick-off: 15.30 CET) in a Bundesliga fixture against Eintracht Frankfurt: The BayArena will be bursting at the seams with the Werkself in such good form – and one or two goals appear guaranteed. At least if you believe the statistics: Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayer 04 have played each other 69 times in the Bundesliga and there has never been a 0-0 draw – a Bundesliga record.
There won’t just be plenty of excitement on the pitch as Bayer 04 host Borussia Dortmund at the BayArena at 18:30 CET on Saturday. Outside the stadium there will be collection points for food donations to the Leverkusen Foodbank, which will also benefit from the profits of a jersey raffle in the Fanwelt afterwards. There will also be a minute’s silence before kick-off following the passing of long-time Werkself player Dieter Herzog, before two fan clubs are honoured for their decades-long support at half-time and fans receive a talk about Orange Day, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game in our matchday news.
Show more
Bayer 04 go into the first of two successive clashes with Borussia Dortmund boosted by their Champions League win at Manchester City. Ahead of the Bundesliga top match on Saturday, 29 November (kick-off: 18:30 CET), coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke about the tight schedule, BVB's strengths and returning squad members.
Show more
Borussia Dortmund are doing very well in terms of points and results in the Bundesliga, the DFB Pokal and the UEFA Champions League. BVB have only suffered two defeats to date this term. Now coach Niko Kovac's team are away to the Werkself on Saturday night, 29 November (kick-off: 18:30 CET) in the top match on Bundesliga matchday 12. The two teams meet again three days later in the DFB Pokal Round of 16 tie in Dortmund. Two very competitive encounters are on the cards. The lowdown on our next opponents.
Show more
The Bayer 04 Women clcoked up a 3-2 win in a friendly against Twente Enschede on Thursday afternoon in the last international break of 2025. In drizzle, Lilla Turanyi (16’), Kristin Kögel (65’) and Paulina Bartz (69’) scored the goals for the Werkself against the Dutch Eredivisie Vrouwen leaders, who are still unbeaten in the league.
Show more
