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.
A special visit to the BayArena: 222 members from volunteer fire brigades in Leverkusen, the Rheinisch-Bergisch district and the Oberbergisch district watched the Werkself’s 2–0 home win over Slovenian champions NK Celje live in the stadium. Bayer 04 had invited them to the 2026/27 Europa League opener as a thank-you for their tremendous dedication. They watched the match together in Block F4.
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The Bayer 04 U19s have extended their winning run with a fifth consecutive victory on Matchday 5 of the DFB Youth League’s preliminary round. Coach Patrick Greveraars’ side secured a 3–2 (2–1) win in their match against second-placed FC Viktoria Köln, with Burak Kir and Nebe Domnic scoring for the hosts in the first half before captain Ben Hawighorst found the net after the break.
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Bayer 04 will have to manage without defender Guéla Doué for the time being. The Ivory Coast international sustained a muscle injury to his right calf during the final Werkself training session yesterday ahead of the Europa League clash with Slovenian champions NK Celje.
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For the first time since reaching the final against AS Roma (2–2, first leg 2–0) in May 2024, Bayer 04 are playing another home match in the UEFA Europa League – and they will be wearing their new European kit. On Wednesday 16 September (kick-off: 21:00 CEST), the BayArena will welcome Slovenian champions NK Celje, who appointed a new coach this week following a mixed start to the season. Under the slogan “40 Years Across Europe. Still Creating History.”, the Black and Reds now aim to add the next chapter to their European history, which has seen so much success in recent years. Bayer 04 fans can follow the match on free-to-air TV on RTL, as well as on Sky and Werkself Radio. The matchday news.
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European football returns to the BayArena: Bayer 04 host Slovenian champions NK Celje on matchday 1 in the group stage of the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League. Ahead of the match on Wednesday 16 September (kick-off: 21:00 CEST), head coach Carles Martínez and midfielder Aleix Garcia spoke at the pre-match press conference. The focus was primarily on the great anticipation surrounding the competition and the clear objectives for it – and, given the circumstances, on a last-minute change to the opposition line-up.
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