The Werkself collected 63 points in the end. The fact that total was 'only' good enough to qualify for the Europa League is primarily down to the strong competition this term. Since the introduction of three points for a win in 1996, 63 points has always been enough to finish in the top four. The points return is also the best for the Werkself in a season for seven years: In 2012/13, the Black and Reds finished in third place on 65 points.
Bayer 04 only picked up more points (39) in the second half of the season in 1999/2000 than in the recently completed Bundesliga campaign the total of 35 also being achieved in 1996/97 and 2010/11. In the first four weeks after the winter break, the Werkself picked up a lot of points with eight wins out of ten league games.
Goals guaranteed with games involving Bayer 04. The team led by head coach Peter Bosz only failed to score once in the second half of the season in a 2-0 defeat against Hertha Berlin on matchday 33. And the Black and Reds scored 15 more goals (38) than in the first half of the season (23).
Bayer 04 have often been the first out of the blocks this season: Kevin Volland and Co. scored 14 goals in the first 15 minutes, second only to the perennial champions FC Bayern on 18. Although Leverkusen did score the most goals in the final 15 minutes: Werkself fans were able to celebrate goals 17 times in the closing stages of league matches.
The Bayer 04 players covered a distance of 4,055 kilometres (an average of 119.3 kilometres per game) in 2019/20 and they put in the most running of any team in the Bundesliga. The 129.4 kilometres on matchday 11 in the 2-0 away win at Wolfsburg was a record for the season.
Peter Bosz' possession-based approach is reflected in the numbers: His team had an average of 65% possession this season – only the champions from Munich were better (66%). The Werkself also had the third best passing accuracy this season (87%).
The Black and Reds definitely did not have to rely on one striker: A total of 15 different players got their name on the scoresheet and you have to go back to the 2002/03 season to find more Werkself players (17) scoring in a Bundesliga campaign.
The Bosz team proved to be unpredictable in front of the opposition goal. 24 goals were scored with the left foot and the same number with the right. And there were also eight headed goals to celebrate.
Kasper Hjulmand managed 1. FSV Mainz 05 during the 2014/15 season. Now he returns to the MEWA ARENA as head coach of Bayer 04 Leverkusen on Saturday 18 October (kick-off 15:30 CEST). The record against the 05ers as well as the hosts' underwhelming start to the season favour the Werkself, but other stats and comments reveal a battling Mainz side who are determined to get back on track. The Matchday News brings you the latest ahead of the Bundesliga Matchday 7 clash.
Show moreBayer 04 Women have less than 72 hours to recover from the rearranged derby against Köln. Coach Roberto Pätzold's side host VfL Wolfsburg, who are level on points, in a crunch match at the Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion on Sunday (kick-off 17:15 CEST).
Show moreBayer 04 return from the international break with a trip to Mainz in the Bundesliga on Saturday. Ahead of the Matchday 7 fixture, head coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke at his press conference on Friday about the 05ers, returning to his former club and provided a fitness update on the squad.
Show moreMainz were one of the surprise packages of last season as their power football earned them a sixth-place finish a return to Europe after nine years with qualification for the UEFA Conference League. Things aren’t going as well for the 05ers this term, as they prepare to host Bayer 04 on Matchday 7 in the Bundesliga still searching for a positive result at home.
Show moreA group of journalists representing Latin American and Spanish-language media outlets visited the BayArena on Thursday for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Bayer 04 and interviews with key personnel that have driven the team’s brand to new heights internationally over the last few years.
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