Our next opponents are often referred to as the Foals. Gladbach earned the nickname during the glory years in the 1970s because of the young average age of their team. It is no secret that Bayer 04 also place great emphasis on youth. In last weekend's 2-2 draw with VFL Wolfsburg the average age of the starting eleven was just 23 years and 339 days – RB Leipzig are the only team to have had a younger line-up this season. And: The average age was further reduced during the game with the introduction of Kai Havertz (18) and Joel Pohjanpalo (23) from the subs bench.
Bayer 04 are five points behind the rivals from the Rhine. That makes Borussia the favourites on Saturday. The record between the two clubs reveals Bayer 04 are on top: In the previous 70 meetings in Germany's top-flight the Werkself have won 25 times and the Foals 19. The most common outcome (26 times) in this fixture is the two sides sharing the points. The Werkself have only recorded more draws with Werder Bremen (29).
The Werkself have scored in all of the last 13 Bundesliga matches. That's the longest run of goals for any current Bundesliga team. Extending this run of goals would undoubtedly increase the chances of getting a result on the Lower Rhine following on from the draw at Schalke. Bayer 04 clocked up more games in succession with goals scored between February and September 2016 (15 matches).
The Werkself have shown in recent games that they can play football – Heiko Herrlich's team have celebrated scoring 15 times in the Bundesliga this season. Only Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern have netted more often this term. The Werkself stand a good chance of extending that total in Mönchengladbach. Bayer 04 have scored at least one goal in 23 of the last 24 Bundesliga fixtures against Borussia with the last blank coming in a 3-0 away defeat in May 2015. Moreover: With a total of 130 goals, the Werkself have not scored more often in the Bundesliga than against Gladbach.
In the 2-2 draw against Wolfsburg, Julian Baumgartlinger came on in place of Bayer 04 captain Lars Bender on 70 minutes and now he is on the verge of making his 150th Bundesliga appearance. Since signing in the summer of last year, the 29-year-old has played 25 games for the Werkself. Most of his appearances (124) came during his time at Mainz 05.
Midfielder Christoph Kramer and the currently injured striker Josip Drmic are two players in the Gladbach squad who used to play for the Werkself. Heiko Herrlich also spent time at our next opponents. The current head coach at Bayer 04 moved from Leverkusen to Mönchengladbach in 1993 and in the 1994/95 season he was the league's highest scorer (along with Mario Basler) with 20 goals to his credit and he later went on to win the DFB Cup. The striker played for Borussia for two years scoring 28 goals in 55 Bundesliga appearances. As a coach, Herrlich meets up with his former club for a second time: The first meeting was in January 2010 with VfL Bochum in a Bundesliga fixture at Gladbach that ended in a 2-1 victory for his team. It would be good if the next win comes on Saturday - It would be the first victory on the road for Bayer 04 this season.
Bayer 04 will have to manage without defender Guéla Doué for the time being. The Ivory Coast international sustained a muscle injury to his right calf during the final Werkself training session yesterday ahead of the Europa League clash with Slovenian champions NK Celje.
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For the first time since reaching the final against AS Roma (2–2, first leg 2–0) in May 2024, Bayer 04 are playing another home match in the UEFA Europa League – and they will be wearing their new European kit. On Wednesday 16 September (kick-off: 21:00 CEST), the BayArena will welcome Slovenian champions NK Celje, who appointed a new coach this week following a mixed start to the season. Under the slogan “40 Years Across Europe. Still Creating History.”, the Black and Reds now aim to add the next chapter to their European history, which has seen so much success in recent years. Bayer 04 fans can follow the match on free-to-air TV on RTL, as well as on Sky and Werkself Radio. The matchday news.
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European football returns to the BayArena: Bayer 04 host Slovenian champions NK Celje on matchday 1 in the group stage of the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League. Ahead of the match on Wednesday 16 September (kick-off: 21:00 CEST), head coach Carles Martínez and midfielder Aleix Garcia spoke at the pre-match press conference. The focus was primarily on the great anticipation surrounding the competition and the clear objectives for it – and, given the circumstances, on a last-minute change to the opposition line-up.
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The champions of Slovenia NK Celje are in a European competition for the fourth time in their history. This Wednesday, 16 September (kick-off: 21:00 CEST), the side lead by head coach Vitor Campelos visit the BayArena for matchday 1 in the group stage in the UEFA Europa League. Celje’s last match at the weekend did not go to plan. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Construction work continues on the ‘Haus der Talente’ on Kurtekottenweg in Leverkusen, where 36 young elite athletes will find a new home from next summer. The building team from Temmink Bau, led by Thomas Wellers, are hard at work. Over the past few days, excavators, wheeled loaders and rollers have removed 2,500 cubic metres of soil to excavate the basement.
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