Bayer 04 against VfL Wolfsburg in front of 30,210 fans – that would be great! But the coronavirus pandemic continues to restrict public life in Germany and Bundesliga matches will be played behind closed doors at least until the end of the season. So, do what Jens Nowotny does: Follow the hygiene and safety regulations and take your 'regular berth' for the end of the season run-in. Do it like 'Jenne' and make yourself comfortable in front of the television to get behind the Werkself from home. Tonight’s match will be broadcast live on Sky. And, of course, Werkself Radio will again be there at the kick-off: Niko and Cedric are your commentators for the match – live and free of charge (in German) at bayer04.de or on the app. Highlights of the game will be shown on ARD Sportschau tonight at 22.45 CET.
Kick-off at the BayArena is at 20.30 CET – but it is worth getting into football mode half an hour earlier. From 20.00 CET, Bayer 04 again broadcast 'Spieltag -Die Show' live on YouTube to get the fans in the mood for the game. The guest this time is club legend Rüdiger Vollborn. We will also go over to our stadium announcers Pitti and Tobi at the BayArena for the team line-ups. Of course, Dirk Maverick will again sing the club anthem – joining in is welcome and desired! Then Werkself Radio will take over for the kick-off. Tune in!
Since last autumn, the Bayer 04 ground staff have had a machine that has come to the fore during the coronavirus pandemic. The UFC180 is like a grass cutter that transmits UV rays. "Due to the fact that certain pesticides are no longer approved, we've had to look round for new possibilities in looking after the pitch," explained Georg Schmitz, head groundsman at Bayer 04. And that's where the UFC180 comes in: The UV rays kill fungal infections before they can attack the grass. Scientists have also discovered that UV rays can destroy corona viruses. That means the BayArena pitch is now regularly ‘disinfected’. Schmitz and his team need one and a half hours to cover the whole pitch.
Referee Daniel Schlager is in charge of tonight's match between the Werkself and VfL Wolfsburg. For the match official from Hügelsheim in South Baden, it will be the 18th Bundesliga match in his career and the second game involving the Werkself. In January he refereed the home game against Fortuna Düsseldorf that ended in a 3-0 win for the Bosz team. Since the suspension of the league, instead of the previous two days notice, the DFB now announces the match officials on the day of the game after referees have been tested for coronavirus.
The former Bayer 04 player Peter Szech would have celebrated his 67th birthday today. Szech joined the then second division Bayer 04 in 1978/79. He played a big part in promotion to the top-flight with his 15 goals in his first season at Leverkusen. In a total of 153 appearances for the Werkself, the Essen-born player scored 39 goals. Szech died at the age of 60 as a result of a motorcycle accident on 3 March 2014.
A cracker of a semi-final at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. The Bayer 04 U19 team entertain Bayern Munich on Saturday, 10 May (kick-off: 11:00 CEST/stadium opens: 10:00 CEST). In front of a home crowd, the team led by head coach Sergi Runge, who welcomes back an attacking player, is looking to build on the battling performances from the previous knockout games and "perform at the right moment." Tickets are available from the Bayer 04 online shop and the game will also be broadcast live on Sky.
Show moreBayer 04 have now gone 33 Bundesliga away games in succession without defeat and thereby equalled the record set by Bayern Munich: Jonathan Tah netted the equaliser at 2-2 in added time away to SC Freiburg on his 400th appearance for the Werkself. SCF took a 2-0 lead with a strike from Maximilian Eggestein (44') and a Piero Hincapie own goal (48') before Florian Wirtz pulled a goal back on 82 minutes.
Show moreWerkself-TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04's 2-2 draw at SC Freiburg on the 32nd matchday of the Bundesliga 2024/25...
Show moreThe Werkself are away to SC Freiburg on Bundesliga Matchday 32. The penultimate away game of the season is today Sunday, 4 May with a 17:30 CEST kick-off at the Europa Park Stadion. Read on for the latest information in today's matchday news.
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