The match kicks off at 15.30 CET with referee Günter Perl from Pullach in charge of proceedings.
All square in the record books
Mainz and Leverkusen have met 20 times in the Bundesliga and the record could not be more equal: In addition to four draws, each team has won eight games. Only Freiburg and Nürnberg have also beaten Mainz eight times in the top-flight.
Lead proves decisive
Whenever the Werkself take the lead in games between M05 and B04 the points are almost as good a secured: In the 20 Bundesliga games between the two clubs the Werkself have led 10 times with those matches ending in eight victories and two draws.
Mainz on their marks
For the first time under coach Martin Schmidt Mainz 05 have not won in five competitive games at home (one defeat plus four draws).
On the verge of a hat-trick?
Bayer 04 are in a position to suffer three competitive defeats on the road in succession for the first time in four and a half years - the last time that happened was in March 2012 in the final three away games under coach Robin Dutt.
Brandt's impressive record
Julian Brandt has been directly involved in ten goals in his last eleven Bundesliga outings (six goals, four assists). In 2015/16 the Werkself won all nine league games where the Germany international found the back of the net.
Chicha likes to score against Mainz
Chicharito scored home and away against Mainz last season. The team from Rhine-Hesse could be the first Bundesliga side to concede three times to the Mexican in succession.
The man for the last 15 minutes
Joel Pohjanpalo has scored all four of his Bundesliga goals in the final 15 minutes of games (to be more exact from the 79th minute). No club in the Bundesliga have scored more goals in the last 15 minutes in the 2016/17 season than Bayer 04.
Four made the switch
Julian Baumgartlinger joined Bayer 04 in the summer after five years at Mainz. The Austrian, who was the FSV captain last season, played 124 Bundesliga games for Mainz scoring two goals and providing four assists along the way. Levin Öztunali (15 Bundesliga games for Bayer 04) and André Ramalho (19 Bundesliga games for the Werkself) went the opposite way in the summer. The former Leverkusen defender Giulio Donati (43 Bundesliga games for Bayer 04) joined FSV in January 2015.
LIVE action via the LIVE app
The Bayer 04 LIVE APP, recently nominated one of the most innovative apps on a popular App blog, will be packed full of exclusive information (in German) on Bayer 04 on Saturday. You can download it now to keep up-to-date with the action at Werkself while you are on the move.>> bit.ly/b04live .The social networks will be busy at #M05B04.
Get on the bus in Mainz
The new Bayer 04 bus, unveiled two weeks ago, is a new meeting point for Werkself fans. On Saturday the red double-decker bus will be in Mainz serving as a fan shop and information point for the Bayer 04 Club.
Traveling to North America for the World Cup this summer to see your favorite Bayer 04 players? Here’s a quick cheat sheet with thumbnail portraits and insider tips for each city from a local expert, so you can make the most of your visit and activities beyond the game!
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A fresh look for the BayArena: The Bayer 04 stadium will have new seating in the form of folding seats for the 2026/27 campaign that will ensure significantly improved seating comfort and simplified movement within the rows of seats. As part of routine replacement after 17 years, fans of the Werkself were able to purchase the existing seats, used to witness the first German league title in the club's history. In addition, a large proportion of the seats will be donated to charitable projects, primarily in the local region. Bayer 04 fans can look forward to new, functional folding seats for the season opener at the beginning of August - still in the club colours of black and red, of course. A glimpse at the BayArena during the refurbishment.
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Werkself player Montrell Culbreath and Bayer 04 loanee Francis Onyeka are part of Germany's final squad for the U19 European Championships this summer. The tournament is in Wales from 24 June to 12 July.
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