It was a strike that has no equal: 20 minutes into the home clash with Leipzig, Kerem Demirbay shot from 25 yards out and put the ball in the back of the RB net via the underside of the bar. According to the stats from xGoals, which calculates the probability of scoring based on eight criteria, the chance of netting this goal was just 2.23 per cent.
And it is logical that the long-range effort from the Werkself number 10 has been nominated for the September Goal of the Month on the ARD-Sportschau. The 27-year-old has the final digit 2. Votes can be cast for the Leverkusen midfielder via phone (0040 (0)1371/36900 – 2) or online at sportschau.de. The closing date for entries is Saturday, 17 October, 19.00 CEST.
The Day of German Unity on 3 October was a special public holiday in 2020 – as it was the 30th anniversary of reunification. Bayer 04 dedicated a thematic week to this turning point in German-German history. Based on this series at bayer04.de it is clear: The fall of the Berlin Wall was a lucky break for the Werkself. Click HERE to access the articles.
Positive numbers for the Bundesliga: The ARD-Sportschau had 4.44 million viewers on Saturday night (market share: 18.7 per cent) the best numbers since the beginning of March. The highlights of the 1-1 draw for the Werkself at VfB Stuttgart was available in the afternoon.
And the Pay TV broadcaster Sky can also look back at good figures at the weekend. The individual and multi-match coverage from Saturday afternoon reached an average TV audience of 1.71 million fans. The Aktuelle Sportstudio, that was broacast on ZDF on Saturday night at eleven o’clock, had 1.86 million viewers (market share: 12.3 per cent).
A great day for ‘Pala’: The Argentinian Bayer 04 player Exequiel Palacios celebrates his 22nd birthday on his day off on Monday. The midfielder signed for Leverkusen from River Plate at the start of January this year. Since then, the Copa Libertadores winner of 2018 has made eight appearances for the Werkself.
And the former Leverkusen player Robbie Kruse is also a year older on this Monday. The 32-year-old, with the Werkself from 2013 to 2015 and from the start of 2016 to the start of 2017, is now playing football back home in Australia – since the summer of last year for Melbourne Victory. Bayer 04 wish both: Happy Birthday!
Lying third in the Bundesliga, the Werkself made a faltering start in 2026 after the winter break, but gradually rediscovered winning ways and, as in the previous campaign, were among the top 16 in Europe and the top four in the DFB Pokal. In the Bundesliga, the Werkself also remained in the race for Champions League qualification right to the end. However, because setbacks repeatedly crept into the Werkself's performances between good displays and crucial games, it was not quite enough to secure a UCL spot in the end. A season with many ups and downs brought sixth place and qualification for the UEFA Europa League. Part II of the review of the 2025/26 season.
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Following the final match of the 2025/26 season, the prevailing feeling was naturally one of disappointment after missing out on qualification for the Champions League. The Werkself finished the Bundesliga in sixth place, meaning they'll start the 2026/27 campaign in the Europa League. "But to talk negatively about everything now because of that would be wrong," stressed captain Robert Andrich following the final game, knowing that the past year at Bayer 04 was marked, more than almost any other, by the start of a new era and the courage to change – and in particular, the belief in a positive direction. Everyone was aware this process would need time. The first part of the 2025/26 season review.
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The Bayer 04 Women’s squad for the coming season is continuing to take shape: Centre-back Emily Wallrabenstein has moved to Leverkusen from Eintracht Frankfurt’s reserve team, who play in the Women’s Bundesliga 2. The 19-year-old has penned a contract until 30 June 2028.
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Bayern 04 Women have confirmed another summer signing, with midfielder Paulina Platner moving to Leverkusen from SGS Essen. The 20-year-old has signed a two-year contract with the Werkself.
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