"The players are obviously very tired. It's clear there is a lack of freshness but that's only to be expected at this stage of the pre-season. Overall, they took up the challenge very well and did a good job of meeting our targets for today: We didn't want to commit any fouls, looked to play a possession game and create goalscoring opportunities. The result is ok but there is room for improvement. Above all in the second half, we could have scored one or two more goals," summed up Heiko Herrlich after the game.
The reason for the Bayer 04 visit was the fiftieth anniversary of the club that won the Rhineland Cup in 2012. The evening provided three firsts for the Werkself: For the first friendly of the pre-season the Black and Reds had first use of the new team bus and that was followed by the first outing in the new home kit seen in the photo shoot before yesterday's DFl Media Day. Heiko Herrlich had to manage without the injured Charles Aranguiz (knee), Lukas Hradecky (jaw op), Panos Retsos (hand) and Joel Pohjanpalo (ankle). Dominik Kohr also had to take it easy after twisting his knee in the morning training session.
Captained by Julian Baumgartlinger, the Werkself set the pace in summer temperatures at the 'In der Au' Stadium in Roßbach/Wied – the well-organised defence of the hosts around goalkeeper Peter Stegemann initially proved to be unbeatable. "The opposition did well and were very well organised in defence. In the opening stages of the game we found it very difficult to get through to the final third," said Herrlich in praising the hosts. It took half an hour for the Black and Reds to breach the Roßbach bulwark and put the ball in the back of the net: Baumgartlinger scored a deserved opener on 28 minutes after a fine solo run. That was followed by strikes from Kai Havertz (39') and Lucas Alario (41'). Bayer 04 went into the break with a 3-0 lead.
Heiko Herrlich made nine changes at half-time – only Baumgartlinger and Sam Schreck stayed on. Regardless of the many changes it remained a one-sided affair after the restart with the Roßbach team coached by Uwe van Eckeren unable to escape from the stranglehold of the Bundesliga side. Kevin Volland converted a penalty on 48 minutes, before Mitchell Weiser netted on his Werkself debut (65') and Lars Bender (79') with an impressive long-range effort extended the lead. The final goal in the 7-0 victory came from Sam Schreck with an outstanding curler (81').
Bayer 04: Özcan (Kirschbaum 46') – Henrichs (Weiser 46'), Sven Bender (Boller 46'), Dragovic (Tah 46'), Bednarczyk (Wendell 46') – Baumgartlinger (Makreckis 75'), Staniliewicz (Lars Bender 46') – Bailey (Bellarabi 46'), Havertz (Azhil 46'), Schreck – Alario (Volland 46')
Trophies as a youth, appearances in the pro game and his first taste of international competition: new arrival Luca Erlein, who has been signed from TSG Hoffenheim, can already look back on some remarkable achievements and moments in his fledgling career. We take a closer look at the 19-year-old right-back, who can also fill other roles across the defensive line.
Show more
Bayer 04 Leverkusen has a new coffee partner. The club has agreed a long-term partnership with the Bocholt-based roastery Imping, running to 30 June 2031. The exclusive partnership with the family-run business includes the installation of fully automatic coffee machines at the BayArena, as well as the right to supply and serve coffee products in the business areas during Werkself home games.
Show more
Plenty going on both on and off the pitch: The Bayer 04 fan support team has organised a number of highlights for fans visiting the Werkself 2026/27 summer training camp in Blankenhain, in the Weimarer Land region. Registration for the events is now open. All the details at a glance.
Show more
The Bayer 04 Leverkusen Women’s team and s2-Software are continuing their long-term partnership: The Werkself and the provider of pre-owned Microsoft licences have extended their contract by two years to 2028. This means s2-Software will remain the Bayer 04 sleeve sponsor for all matches in the Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga.
Show more
BIOGENA is the new performance partner for the Bayer 04 Leverkusen Women’s team. Under a partnership initially set to run for three years, the club and the leading Austrian micronutrient company are pooling their expertise in the areas of health, fitness and top-level performance.
Show more
