Recent meetings
Werder Bremen have come out on top in most of the recent meetings. The last time the Werkself won was in the first half of the 2015/16 campaign with a 3-0 victory at Bremen. Bremen won both games at the BayArena last season in the league and the DFB Cup. This would be the first time Werder have won three games on the bounce at Leverkusen. Even under Otto Rehhagel in 1989 and 1990 and Thomas Schaaf in 2007 and 2008 they never managed more than two wins in succession away to the Werkself.
Lots of goals and bags of entertainment
The last three clashes between the Werkself and Werder have proved highly entertaining: 15 goals were scored in those matches. After the 73 games between the two sides to date the number of goals scored is equal at 114.
Werder in form
Bremen are currently on a good run. The Green and Whites beat Darmstadt to secure a third Bundesliga win in succession - the last time they achieved that was between December 2014 and February 2015 with five wins on the trot. Max Kruse has been heavily involved in the recent upturn. This year the striker has scored four goals in seven Bundesliga fixtures and that is more than in the whole of the calendar year 2016 when he found the back of the net just three times. Kruse has only been on the winning side against Bayer 04 once with the other games ending in two draws and five defeats.
The Werkself like Fridays
The Werkself have done well in Friday fixtures. In the last 22 Bundesliga home games they have always scored on a Friday and at least twice in the last six matches (16 goals). Hopefully these stats continue in the same vein
Significant absentees
Both teams are missing key players tonight. For Bayer 04 the suspended Hakan Calhanoglu and Jonathan Tah (in rehab training) are joined by Lars Bender who is ruled out of tonight’s squad with an ankle injury. Werder are missing their best striker Serge Gnabry (knee) and stalwart Clemens Fritz. The Bremen captain suffered a torn ligament in his right ankle. He underwent an operation this week and is ruled out for the rest of the season. The 36-year-old played 43 games for Bayer 04 between 2003 and 2006. Get well soon Clemens.
Werder hero Rudi Völler
Rudi Völler and Werder Bremen share a common past: The Bayer 04 sporting director scored 97 of his 132 Bundesliga goals in a green and white shirt putting him in third place in the list of all-time goalscorers at Werder. Only Claudio Pizarro (103 goals) and Marco Bode (101) scored more often for the club. Völler and Bremen sporting director Frank Baumann know each other from the past with Baumann playing for Germany under Völler as coach.
Live action via the LIVE App
The Bayer 04 live app, voted as one of the most innovative apps by a large app blog, is raring to go. You can download the app to follow the Werkself at bit.ly/b04live.
Information for fans travelling by train
Extensive work on the tracks means there are changes to the timetable on Friday in Leverkusen Mitte. This affects the following lines:
RE 1 (Hamm<> Aachen) - The trains are running with changed running times. On the weekend of 11+12 March 2017 does not stop in Leverkusen Mitte in the direction of Cologne; use the S6 service.
RE 5 (Wesel<>Koblenz) - The trains between Cologne Messe/Deutz <> Düsseldorf main station are cancelled. Please use the trains on lines RE1 and S6. A replacement service running on a change timetable will run between Düsseldorf and Wesel without stopping in Oberhausen-Holten and Friedrichsfeld.
S6 (Essen<> Cologne) – Mon. to Fri. one less journey per hour between Cologne <> Düsseldorf. On the weekend of 11+12 March 2017 there will be a reduced number of stops and earlier timetable in the direction of Cologne–Mülheim> Langenfeld (Düsseldorf).
The second international break of the 2025/26 season will begin after the Bundesliga match against Union Berlin (Saturday, 4 October, 15:30 CEST). The latest information on call-ups.
Show more
Alejo Sarco and Argentina won their second group match at the U20 World Cup in Chile on Wednesday night. They beat Australia 4-1 with Sarco setting the tone early with a goal in the third minute. As in the first group game against Cuba, where Sarco scored twice, the 19-year-old was also named "Player of the Match" against Australia.
Show more
Second game, second draw in the UEFA Champions League 2025/26: The Werkself were held to a 1-1 draw by Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven on matchday two in the league phase. After an early but brief setback in the form of an offside goal by Ivan Perisic for the visitors (5'), the Werkself took control and created numerous good chances in the first half. Leverkusen took a deserved lead after the break in the 65th minute through Christian Kofane. However, PSV's Ismael Saibari replied a few minutes later to level at 1-1 (72').
Show more
In the second match in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League 2025/26, the Werkself host PSV Eindhoven this Wednesday evening, 1 October (kick-off: 21:00 CEST/live on DAZN and on Werkself Radio). PSV have injury problems but are in confident mood after winning two consecutive league titles. PSV coach Peter Bosz and keeper Matej Kovar are two familiar faces who have fond memories of their Bayer 04 days. The latest information on the UCL match at the BayArena can be found in out matchday news.
Show more
Bayer 04 beat PSV Eindhoven 3-2 on matchday two to clock up the next three points in the UCL Youth League 2025/26. In front of just under 500 spectators at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium, the visitors from the Netherlands led at half-time, but the Werkself turned the game round in the second 45. That makes it two wins on the bounce after the victory in Copenhagen.
Show more
