
Karim, how are you all feeling heading to Dortmund?
Bellarabi: We had a couple of days off last weekend and were all able to recover to some extent. We worked well in training this week and the last few weeks have gone very well overall. Therefore, we are going into this game full of confidence. Nevertheless, we also know it will be a very difficult and exciting match against a strong team.
Two of the three best attacking sides in the Bundesliga meet in BVB (52 goals) against the Werkself (49 goals). Can the fans of both teams expect a goal fest?
Bellarabi: Games against Dortmund are always special. They are actually very similar to us and we have a lot of quick players too. Therefore, I believe it will be exciting right to the end.
It's second against third. What could make the difference in the end?
Bellarabi: We'll see. In games like that it's mostly the little things. We always give 100 per cent and we have our plan. We went to implement that as well as we can and for as long as possible.
To what extent do you have a score to settle with BVB after the 4-3 defeat earlier in the season?
Bellarabi: That was an intense match but I can remember it exactly. Of course, this time we want to end up with the three points.
You are the only player in the current Werkself squad to have won at Dortmund. Did you know that?
Bellarabi: That's the first time I've heard that. I hope a couple of my teammates can follow suit on Sunday. (He laughs) It's absolutely of secondary importance if I'm responsible for that. We want to achieve more as a team and play with high intensity. What happened in the past or happens in the future is irrelevant at the moment.
To finish with, tell us about your personal highlight against BVB.
Bellarabi: That's easy – obviously my goal after nine seconds. (He laughs) It was a very special game back then. It was the first Bundesliga match under Roger Schmidt and we had lots of plans at the start of the season. We faced a very strong opponent in Dortmund but we’d actually planned to get on the front foot early and take a risk. The fact it worked straightaway was obviously brilliant.

“Year after year, this is an incredibly valuable gathering, both in terms of the content covered and the opportunity for mutual discussion,” stressed Bayer 04 goalkeeping coach David Thiel in his welcoming address at this year’s goalkeeping coaches’ meeting. This was the third time in four seasons that the event had been held at the BayArena. Organised by the German Football Association (DFB), the meeting brought together goalkeeping coaches from the Bundesliga, Bundesliga 2 and the 3rd division from the west region. For the first time this year, goalkeeping coaches from the youth performance centres (NLZ) were also present. Bayer 04 fitness coach Markus Müller provided fascinating insights into the specific fitness training carried out with the Werkself’s goalkeepers.
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It was another incredibly close call in the end: The second showdown in the 2026/27 VBL Club Championship saw the #B04eSports team once again narrowly miss out on a place in the top 16 of the preliminary round – and with it, a spot in the in-person knockout stage. It was a bitter blow: Marc and Sean Landwehr again fell just short, despite being level on points with their rivals. As was the case last month, their weaker record across the twelve individual matches in the six preliminary round fixtures proved decisive.
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Several Werkself players are set to represent their national teams during the final international break of 2026. Here’s an overview of who has been called up and the matches they will face in November. This article will be updated regularly.
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“They stuck with us over the past few weeks when things weren’t going so well,” said captain Edmond Tapsoba, thanking the fans for their support after the 2–1 win in Cologne and dedicating the derby victory to them. Throughout the 90 minutes, the Werkself had looked unfazed and in command, inflicting the first home defeat of the season on FC Köln. It was the sixth consecutive win against the Cologne team for Bayer 04 – head coach Carles Martínez, on the other hand, was facing the team from the neighbouring city for the first time and “now really knows what this derby win means”. The Werkself derby review.
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Following the 2–1 derby victory away at FC Köln on Bundesliga matchday 9, Edmond Tapsoba, Malik Tillman and Aleix Garcia spoke to Werkself TV...
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