The team under head coach Peter Bosz have set a record thanks to the 4-0 win against Slavia Prague on Thursday night: The 21 goals scored is the highest number by a German club in the group stages of the Europa League. Next opponents in the Bundesliga from Hoffenheim also sailed through the group stage of the competition. TSG picked up 16 out of a possible 18 points with a goal difference of 17 for and 2 against – the second best group stage for a German club in the history of the Europa League.
The team led by coach Sebastian Hoeneß clocked up a 4-1 victory over KAA Gent. "I watched the game. But I think they'll have other players on the pitch against us," said Bosz on Friday ahead of the clash with the team currently lying tenth in the league. "Either way, we are prepared to face a team who will make life difficult for us."
Following the successful conclusion to the Europa League group stage, there were a small number of players on the training ground for the Friday session. The majority of the squad were recovering in the facilities at the BayArena. Lucas Alario and Mitchell Weiser are back in training. "If they train tomorrow then they could be an option for the squad," Bosz explained.
After three double fixture weeks in succession, there are now three matches within six days before the start of the short winter break. Bosz: "The match rhythm is tiring but the players are fresh. That was shown in the stats from yesterday: We ran a lot, sprinted a lot. That's one of our strengths. Therefore, we have to try to control the workload."
Eight wins and a draw: The return from the latest games is impressive – as is the Bundesliga table. The Werkself are currently second, one point behind Bayern Munich. In spite of the run of wins, Bosz does not have to put his foot down. "The players don't need me to avoid being euphoric – they do that by themselves," said the 56-year-old. "We know things can turn around very quickly. We are calm, doing our work and continue to be critical of ourselves." This approach appears to be producing results at the moment…
Match information:
Broadcasters: Sky and Werks11 Radio
Referee: The match officials will be announced on the day of the game
Following the international break, the Bayer 04 women’s team face their next head-to-head clash in the race for a top spot in the Bundesliga. In Saturday’s home match (14:00 CEST), the fourth-placed side host third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. Head coach Roberto Pätzold is well aware of the great opportunity this presents for his team.
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Werkself TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04's 4-0 win at Lech Poznan on Matchday 2 of the 2026/27 Europa League season...
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Bayer 04 make their first trip to Poland for over 30 years as they face Lech Poznan on Matchday 2 of the league phase in the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League. The game kicks off at 18:45 CEST on Thursday, but the team will be preparing for the action on Wednesday with training, travel and pre-match press conferences. We’ll bring you all the latest news here…
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Bayer 04 remain unbeaten in the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League. After winning the opener against NK Celje, the Werkself followed that up on Thursday night with a 4–0 win away at the Polish champions Lech Poznan. Patrik Schick, who came on as a substitute early in the game, scored twice from the penalty spot, and Malik Tillman also found the back of the net before half-time. The second half was a more subdued affair, with Ibrahim Maza scoring late on to seal the final 4-0 scoreline.
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