
Thanks to the 4-1 away win at SpVgg Greuther Fürth, Bayer 04 now have 55 points from 31 league games – more than in the whole of last season with three games left to play (52). That campaign ended in sixth place in the table and qualification for the UEFA Europa League.
Currently in third spot, with a three-point lead over the team in fifth position, the Werkself need more points in the end of season run-in to achieve the target of qualifying for the Champions League. The remaining three opponents are Eintracht Frankfurt (2 May), TSG Hoffenheim (7 May) plus the finale against SC Freiburg (14 May).
An important milestone in the history of Bayer 04 was reached 36 years ago today: On 26 April 1986, the Werkself were away to Schalke in the final game of the season and were 2-0 down – not enough for sixth place and the first participation in the UEFA Cup. However, the team under coach Erich Ribbeck fought their way back into the game and earned a 2-2 draw. After the final whistle it was clear that Bayer 04 would take part in the UEFA Cup for the first time in the 1986/87 season.
The Werkself went out in the second round after two wins in the first round against the Swedish team Kalmar FF (4-1, 3-0): The games against the Czech side Dukla Prague ended goalless away and in a 1-1 draw at home.

The next season saw the massive achievement for the Werkself of winning the UEFA Cup on penalties against Espanyol..
The former Werkself player Werner Biskup would have been 80 years old on this Tuesday. The defender moved under the Bayer Cross at the age of 20 from his hometown of Bottrop in 1962. Biskup played for the Werkself for three years: first in the Oberliga West (30 games, three goals), then in the Regional League West (66 games, four goals). After moving on to Fortuna Düsseldorf and FC Köln he finally ended up at RFC Liège in Belgium where he ended his playing career in 1975 and he became a coach. Biskup passed away in July 2014 at the age of 72. Rest in peace.

The meeting between fifth and sixth on Saturday afternoon (17 January, 15:30 CET) is a hard one to predict. While the Werkself can take confidence from their historic record at TSG Hoffenheim, the hosts are currently enjoying their second-best Bundesliga campaign and have lost just one of their last 10 games. Another good omen for Bayer 04: Daniel Schlager also refereed Leverkusen's last victory in Sinsheim (4-1). The Matchday News.
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At the end of the winter training camp in Portugal, the Bayer 04 Women convincingly mastered their friendly ahead of the start of the second half of the season. In the match against Swiss league leaders Servette FCCF, coach Roberto Pätzold's team won 3-0 at the Monte Gordo Sports Complex. Carlotta Wamser (4’), Vanessa Fudalla (18’) and Loreen Bender (53’) scored for Bayer 04, who have been preparing for the Rückrunde in the Algarve since last Saturday.
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The German Football League (DFL) has rescheduled the postponed fixture at Hamburger SV on Bundesliga matchday 17. The match, due to be played on Tuesday, has now been rescheduled for Wednesday, 4 March (kick-off: 20:30 CET).
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The Rückrunde is about to begin: The Werkself travel to TSG Hoffenheim on Saturday, 17 January (kick-off: 15:30 CET) on Bundesliga matchday 18. At the pre-match press conference on Friday lunchtime, head coach Kasper Hjulmand emphasised the double anticipation for the clash following Tuesday's postponement of the fixture at Hamburger SV. And he also talked about the tactical approach against an opponent on course for Champions League qualification.
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TSG Hoffenheim have had a tremendous season so far and are in absolute top form going into the new year. After another outstanding display against Borussia Mönchengladbach on Wednesday, TSG went above Bayer 04 in the table. On Saturday, 17 January (kick-off: 15:30 CET), coach Christian Ilzer's team will be looking to continue their run in the league against the Werkself. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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