
"We really got stuck in," said Sven Bender. "But that's what we need now. We don't have much time before the start of the second half of the season."
In the absence of Peter Bosz, who was away from Leverkusen due to a private matter, assistant coach Hendrie Krüzen led the training session. And the long-standing colleague of Peter Bosz pulled out all the stops. In the practice matches on small pitches, he again and again fired up the pros, let the players not taking part do circuits and carried on playing even in the event of small knocks.
However, one player took a hit before the end of the session. Paulinho was left lying on the ground after a challenge. The Brazilian suffered a wound to his mouth and was sent to the dressing room as a precautionary measure. According to the medical section, it is probable that the 18-year-old will be back on the pitch with his team-mates in the next session on Thursday.
The underdogs came out on top in the mini-tournament. The Green team had to thank keeper Lukas Hradecky above all for their triumph and he insisted on a group photo with the winners after the final whistle. The Finland shot-stopper shared the limelight with Lucas Alario, Sam Schreck, Tin Jedvaj, Adrian Stanilewicz, Mitchell Weiser, Dominik Kohr, Herdi Bukusu and Leon Bailey.
There is no squad training on Wednesday; the sessions on Thursday and Friday will not be open to the public.

Thomas Eichin has been working for Bayer 04 for six years – as Director of Professional Teams since July 2023 – and has contributed to the successful development of our club in many areas. Today, Friday 9 October, Freiburg-born Eichin is celebrating his 60th birthday. We wish him a very happy birthday.
Show more
The Bayer 04 women’s team secured a win in the friendly during the international break. Without a total of eight international players, coach Roberto Pätzold’s team defeated Bundesliga 2 side Borussia Mönchengladbach 3–1 at the Kurtekotten Training Centre, thanks to goals from Lobke Loonen (1’, penalty), Caroline Kehrer (41') and Valentina Mädl (66').
Show more
Together with his family, friends and close associates, Bayer 04 Leverkusen bid farewell to Peter Hermann. The club’s long-serving assistant manager passed away on 19 September following a serious illness. Today, Thursday 8 October, Bayer 04 held an event attended by around 200 invited guests to commemorate Peter Hermann’s legacy. Representatives from the DFB and the other professional clubs where Hermann worked paid their respects to him at the BayArena.
Show more
Bayer 04 will have to manage without striker Christian Kofane in the coming weeks. The 20-year-old sustained a muscle injury to his left thigh on international duty with the Cameroon national team during the recent international break. This will prevent him from playing in the upcoming Werkself matches.
Show more
Exciting experiences and exclusive insights into the Werkself and the BayArena awaited the young footballers from the BA04 Football Academy Guangzhou in China during their visit to the Rhineland this week. As well as taking part in a joint training session with the Bayer 04 Football Academy, the youngsters marvelled at the Bundesliga club’s stadium during a guided tour. The highlight of the visit was a private press conference with former Bayer 04 striker Stefan Kießling, during which he shared tips from his own career with the young players. On Saturday afternoon, 10 October, the group will round off their visit by supporting the Werkself in the away match in Mainz.
Show more