For the first time since the introduction of the Champions League in 1992 next season will see five German teams in Europe's premier club competition. In addition to the Werkself, champions Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig plus Eintracht Frankfurt as Europa League winners have qualified for the top European tournament.
26 of the 32 teams have already qualified. The remaining six will be decided from the end of June to August in the qualifying matches. The draw for the group stage will follow on 25 August.
The Werkself join Borussia Dortmund in pot 3 based on the UEFA coefficients and are therefore unable to play RB Salzburg, Shakhtar Donetsk, Inter Milan, Napoli and Sporting Lisbon as they are in the same pot. In contrast, possible opponents include Real Madrid, Manchester City, AC Milan, Paris St Germain, Porto (all in pot 1), Chelsea, Barcelona, Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Sevilla, Tottenham Hotspur (all in pot 2) plus Liverpool and Ajax (both pot 1 or pot 2).
In the group stage, three German clubs will play on Tuesdays and two on Wednesdays. The first matchday is on 6/7 September. The top match on a Tuesday next season will be shown on the Amazon Prime Video streaming platform. All other matches are available via the streaming provider DAZN. Highlights on terrestrial TV will be shown as usual on ZDF – on Wednesdays from 23.15 CEST.
Which Bayer 04 player particularly stands out this season? Can last year's winner Florian Wirtz retain his title? The top eleven scorers and providers in the Bundesliga include three Werkself players: Leverkusen's top goalscorer Patrik Schick (24 goals, 4 assists), winger Moussa Diaby(13 goals, 12 assists) and youngster Florian Wirtz (7 goals, 11 assists). Robert Andrich or Jeremie Frimpong could also be in the running.
Black and Red fans still have a chance to choose who most deserves the title of Player of the Season 2021/22. The vote is open until Sunday 5 June.
Bayer 04 Club members have the chance to win some great prizes:
Main prize:
Other prizes:
Click HERE to vote and for further information
The flags at the Bayer Leverkusen flying club are at half mast. An LEC sports aircraft crashed in Croatia on Sunday 29 May. The pilot was a member of the Leverkusen club and he was killed in the accident as were three passengers. Bayer 04 mourns the victims and our thoughts are with their families and friends.
Former Werkself player Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez is 34 today. Bayer 04 congratulate him and happily remember his time under the Bayer Cross. The Mexican record goalscorer played for Bayer 04 from 2015 to 2017 and he conquered the hearts of the Black and Red fans up front. Chicharito scored 28 times in 54 games. After his time at Leverkusen, Chicha joined West Ham United in the Premier League. The crowd favourite has played for Los Angeles Galaxy since 2020. There he scored 26 goals in 49 games.
You can again watch one of his many impressive feats HERE. Happy Birthday.
Sandwiched between their UEFA Champions League knockout play-off tie against Olympiacos, Bayer 04 return to Bundesliga action on Saturday with a trip to Union Berlin (kick-off: 15:30 CET). It’s a fixture of contrasting styles, with Leverkusen preferring to control the play while Union look to remain compact and counter. The Berliners are therefore suited to facing top teams, but they have only ever managed to win one of 16 meetings with the Werkself, who are looking for a fifth clean sheet of 2026 but will need to beware the home side’s threat from set pieces. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game in our matchday news.
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After six wins in seven games, the Werkself will be looking to continue their winning run in the capital at FC Union Berlin. Coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke ahead of the match on Saturday, 21 February (kick-off: 15:30 CET) about defenders, the short preparation time and the condition of the pitch at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei.
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Union Berlin have performed particularly well against the top clubs in the Bundesliga this season with a draw at home to Bayern Munich and wins against VfB Stuttgart and RB Leipzig. This Saturday, 21 February (kick-off: 15:30 CET), the Irons now welcome the Werkself, currently sixth in the table, to the Stadion An der Alten Försterei. And the hosts are in desperate need of a win. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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It took exactly 60 minutes for the Werkself to take the lead through a perfectly finished counter-attack by Patrik Schick in the first leg of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League play-off at Olympiacos. Referring to the meeting in the league phase and the initially squandered opportunities, coach Kasper Hjulmand said afterwards: "I thought: 'Oh no, déjà-vu.'" But after the opening goal, it took just 144 seconds for the Czech to spark more wild celebrations among those in black and red in the Greek cauldron, when Schick nodded in Alejandro Grimaldo's corner. Much to the delight of the Bayer 04 fans, his teammates and his coach, who had warm words for the striker in the aftermath. The Werkself Review.
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