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.
Midfielder Ruby Grant is leaving Bayer 04 Leverkusen and joining Portuguese runners-up Sporting CP a year before her contract expires. The 24-year-old has been at the Werkself since January 2025.
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Bayer 04 have loaned Brazilian full-back Arthur to Bundesliga side Werder Bremen for one year. Arthur Augusto de Matos Soares – the full name of the right-back – has a contract with Leverkusen until 30 June 2031. At Werder, the 23-year-old is expected to make an impact and help the long-established club further consolidate their position in the Bundesliga.
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Bayer 04 have loaned defender Jeanuel Belocian to Spanish top-flight side Racing Santander. The 21-year-old defender joins the team currently ninth in La Liga until the end of the current 2026/27 season. Belocian’s contract remains valid until 30 June 2029. Last season, the 1.86-metre-tall U21 international was loaned to VfL Wolfsburg for six months.
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He knows the dressing room, the pitch and the club. But, above all, he knows the feeling of playing for the Werkself at the BayArena: Moussa Diaby is back in Leverkusen after three years. The lightning-fast winger has signed a contract with Bayer 04 until 2031 and he will once again wear the number 19 jersey. The left-footed player previously played for the club from 2019 to 2023, having arrived in the Rhineland from his native France as a promising young talent and eventually leaving the club – having established himself as one of the Bundesliga’s best attackers – to join Aston Villa in the Premier League. Now he has returned to Bayer 04 from Al-Ittihad FC in Saudi Arabia.
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