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.
The Werkself host Premier League club Arsenal in the Round of 16 first leg in the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League campaign. The match at the BayArena is on 10/11 March. Read on for information on ticket sales for this fixture.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen will have to manage without Spanish player Lucas Vázquez for the time being. The experienced full-back and winger suffered an injury to his right calf during the Werkself's Champions League match against Olympiacos (0-0) on Tuesday.
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A goalkeeping era is coming to an end for Bayer 04 Women, with Friederike Repohl retiring when her contract expires at the end of the season. The 31-year-old has played for the Werkself since 2021 and also captained the team since last season. The Bielefeld-born keeper already made her decision during the winter break before her injury.
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Job done: the Bayer 04 eSports team defeated SV Darmstadt 98 in the play-offs to secure their consecutive participation in the VBL Club Championship final. The journey continues now for Leverkusen on Saturday 7 March (from 17:00 CET) with a last-16 encounter at Hamburger SV.
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The first international break in 2026 marks the start of the battle to qualify for the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil for a German and Austrian duo, while a quintet will conclude the U23 international season. A total of eight Leverkusen players will be on international duty with their national teams in the coming days.
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