Balanced record
The Werkself and Mainz 05 have met 22 times in the Bundesliga – and the record could not be more evenly balanced. With four draws both sides have won nine games each to date. And there is no winner when you look at goal scored: Both Bayer 04 and Mainz have found the back of the net 32 times. And it can come as no surprise that the record in the Palatinate is also evenly balanced: There has been one draw and five victories each for the two teams.
Advantage for the Werkself?
In spite of the overall record it is possible to identify an advantage for Bayer 04: There were two away wins in games against FSV last season: Leverkusen came back from 2-0 down in the first match and Mainz took three points from the BayArena with a 2-0 win in the return game. In addition, the Werkself have won three of the last four away games at Mainz with FSV winning the other.
Goals guaranteed
With just one exception (0-0 in Leverkusen) there has always been at least one goal in the 22 Bundesliga meetings and the fans have witnessed 11 goals in the past three encounters. In addition: The Werkself have scored in each of the last seven league matches – the longest run in 2017.
Friends reunited
FSV new signing Rene Adler spent 12 years at Leverkusen (2000 to 2012). Adler made 138 Bundesliga appearances for Bayer 04. The goalkeeper could celebrate victory number 100 in his Bundesliga career in the match against his old club.
Adler's 12 years at Leverkusen saw him make his international debut for Germany and his impressive performances in the league and national team made in first choice for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. However, he missed the tournament through injury and the number two Manuel Neuer took his place between the posts. Finally, Adler lost his place at Leverkusen to Bernd Leno and he moved on to Hamburg SV in 2012/13.
Levin Öztunali moved from HSV to Leverkusen in 2013 and stayed to 20162 (on loan at Werder Bremen for the last season and a half). He made 15 Bundesliga appearances for the Werkself.
Giulio Donati played 43 Bundesliga games for Leverkusen between the summer of 2013 and January 2016.
Baumgartlinger and Ramalho return to old stomping ground
Julian Baumgartlinger played for Mainz between 2011 and 2016 (124 Bundesliga games, two goals) and was the captain at FSV in 2015/16.
Andre Ramalho was on loan at Mainz in 2016/17 (18 Bundesliga games)
Not at Mainz? Then get down to the Schwadbud!
Bayer 04 turned in a dominant performance in a 7-0 win against fifth-tier side Sportfreunde Baumberg in their first friendly ahead of the 2026/27 season. A brace from debutant Afonso Moreira (19', 27') either side of a Christian Kofane strike (23') put the Werkself 3-0 up in the first of the two 35-minute halves in Monheim am Rhein. After the break, Victor Boniface (49', 53'), Robert Andrich (56') and Nathan Tella (67') scored for the completely changed Leverkusen team. It was therefore a successful friendly debut for new head coach Carles Martínez and his team, although the hosts also had something to celebrate despite the defeat: the match marked the inauguration of Baumberg's new ground, the MEGA Stadion.
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Bayer 04 are back on the pitch. Following the first training sessions, the Werkself play the first pre-season friendly on Saturday, July 18. The match against Oberliga club Sportfreunde Baumberg kicks off at 15:30 CEST in Monheim am Rhein. Fans unable to attend the match can watch head coach Carles Martínez’s first game in charge for free via a livestream at bayer04.de and on the Bayer 04 app, as well as on Werkself.tv (exclusively for members). Just log on and watch the games live. All the other Werkself preseason friendlies leading up to the 2026/27 season will also be streamed live for free.
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The Bundesliga has set the exact dates for the first four matchdays in the 2026/27 league campaign. Here is an overview of the fixtures.
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Following the summer break of around two months, the Bayer 04 first team squad took to the training pitches at the BayArena for the first time on Tuesday – and the players were in high spirits. Alongside the newly formed coaching team led by head coach Carles Martínez, new signing Afonso Moreira also completed his first session with the squad. In front of several hundred Bayer 04 fans at the open session, numerous Werkself players worked up a good sweat. The Leverkusen players who took part in the World Cup will join pre-season training at a later date.
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In mid-August, the Werkself will set off on a four-day trip to England to play their final two friendly matches of the 2026/27 pre-season against Premier League clubs Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United. The match in Nottingham against the Tricky Trees is on Wednesday 12 August at 20:45 CEST (19:45 BST) at the City Ground. The game against the Magpies in Newcastle is on Saturday 15 August at 16:00 CEST (15:00 BST) at the atmospheric St James’ Park. Details on ticket sales for both matches.
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