The fourth-placed visitors are still considered by many pundits to be the surprise package of the Bundesliga but the Werkself coach Peter Bosz sees more than that in the next opponents. “If a team is at the top of the league after eleven games and you see the great results they’ve got against top clubs then it’s not really a surprise any more,” said the 56-year-old, who celebrated his birthday yesterday, at the pre-match press conference. Christian Streich’s team have picked up an impressive 21 points to date and are level on points with second-placed RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich in third. “Freiburg are getting a lot of things right: They play well as a team and their transitions are quick,” added Bosz.
One reason for the success is definitely the SCF coach Streich who has been at the helm for eight years. The achievements of the 54-year-old include taking the club straight back up to the top flight in 2015/16 after being relegated the previous season. “The fact he’s been the coach for so long shows he’s getting a lot right – hats off to him!“, said Bosz in praising his opposite number.
The Black and Reds are looking for a win against SCF to extend the run from before the international break of three wins in four games. “We’ve got some important games coming up. After that, we’ll be able to see where we are up to in Europe and in the Bundesliga,” said the Dutchman. “These matches will show where we’re headed for the rest of the season.”
Leverkusen have found it difficult to get going again immediately after breaks this season – and have not earned any decent results up to now. Asked about the run of two defeats after international breaks this term (0-4 at Dortmund and 0-3 at Frankfurt), the Dutchman explained: “I don’t normally worry about things like that – but it is something in the back of my mind.” It’s always difficult if the players only come back just before games.
Bosz was very happy that his midfield dynamo Charles Aránguiz has returned fit and raring to go. The reason: The planned friendly for Chile in Lima was called off due to unrest in Peru. “He returned to training earlier than expected today,” said the Bayer 04 coach who faces Freiburg without Kai Havertz, Daley Sinkgraven and Joel Pohjanpalo (all injured) plus the suspended Leon Bailey.
With their wonderful goals, Martin Terrier and Florian Wirtz are up for the Bundesliga Goal of the Year 2025. Voting for fans will run exclusively via the official Bundesliga app until Sunday, 4 January.
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Last-minute ecstasy, huge disappointment and a historic performance on the European stage - 2025 was a real emotional roller coaster, especially for the U19s. A rousing run in the knockout phase secured the team a place in the final of the German championships, where they lost by the narrowest of margins. Despite the departure of several key players, the young Werkself team quickly regained their usual strength and qualified for the knockout rounds in the UEFA Youth League for the first time at the end of the year. In 2025, youngsters Jeremiah Mensah and Montrell Culbreath made their debuts in the Bundesliga, the DFB Pokal and the UEFA Champions League. The other youth teams also contributed great performances and a number of trophies to the collective Black and Red success, while the successful Bayer 04 Future Kids project broke new ground. Read on for the 2025 review of the youth teams.
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Four Bayer 04 players are in action at the 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations being played in Morocco from 21 December to 18 January 2026: Eliesse Ben Seghir for the hosts, Edmond Tapsoba with Burkina Faso, Ibrahim Maza for Algeria and Christian Kofane with Cameroon. Updates on the AFCON matches involving Werkself players...
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A memorable 12 months: 2025 was a year marked by success, intense competition and groundbreaking innovations for the #B04eSports team. After ending the 2024/25 season as runners-up, the Leverkusen-based console pros got down to business in a new, completely restructured season model, in which showdowns rather than divisions were the decisive factor on the road to the final round of the German Club Championship. Bayer 04 quickly earned a place in the history books of the most prestigious competition in German eSports and secured some valuable advantages for the coming year. Bayer04.de takes a look back at 12 months full of passion and the determination to take the next step.
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Sustainability once again had many faces at Bayer 04 in 2025: In community activity, the club supported countless regional campaigns, including the Leverkusener Tafel, the Frauenennotruf Leverkusen e.V. and the homeless aid organisation "Kältegang". But the Black and Reds have also been involved in good causes around the world - including the Young Coaches training programmes in Uganda and Ecuador plus the Genuine World Cup in the USA, where the Inclusion Werkself competed. Bayer 04 was also fully committed to the environment and underwent external and independently certification in accordance with the European environmental management standard EMAS, for example, to analyse and optimise the club’s environmental efforts. Looking back at sustainability in 2025.
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