While the players in the starting eleven for the home game against VfB Stuttgart began the week with a video analysis session followed by work in the gym at the BayArena, the unused players and subs were on the training ground. The fans at the open training session were only able to see Julian Brandt, Stefan Kießling, Dominik Kohr, Benny Henrichs, Vladlen Yurchenko, Marlon Frey plus the two keepers Ramazan Özcan and Niklas Lomb. Heiko Herrlich and Co. went through a number of crossing and shooting drills with their players.
Wendell worked with fitness coach Daniel Jouvin on the training ground in a one-on-one session following his ankle injury. According to the medical section, Jonathan Tah is also making progress. As with Joel Pohjanpalo (rehab training after ankle injury), the 22-year-old central defender, who suffered a muscle injury to his hip in the game against Dortmund, completed an individual session at the Werkstatt facility in the morning.
Bayer 04 supporters have another two chances to watch the Werkself train this week – on Tuesday and Wednesday (both at 10.30 CET).
Today brings the first match of the season for the Werkself. Bayer 04 kick off the 2026/27 campaign today, Saturday 22 August, at 13:00 CEST with a first-round DFB Pokal tie away to third-tier side SV Wehen Wiesbaden. The 3,700 travelling fans can not only look forward to what will hopefully be a successful start to the season, but also now organise their journeys to Black and Reds games even more easily via the WERKSELFgo car-share platform. Meanwhile, following two defeats at the start of the league season, SV Wehen are hoping to spring a surprise in the DFB Pokal tie. Today’s matchday news.
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Carolin Simon is the new captain of the Bayer 04 women’s team. The full-back, who joined from Bayern Munich in the summer, will take over the captain’s armband for the 2026/27 season. Simon returned to Leverkusen in the summer after ten years away. The 33-year-old succeeds goalkeeper Friederike Repohl, who retired at the end of last season.
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Bayer 04 start the 2026/27 season away to third-division side SV Wehen Wiesbaden. Ahead of the DFB Pokal tie on Saturday 22 August (kick-off: 13:00 CEST), head coach Carles Martínez spoke at the pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon. The topics: anticipation, passion, the fans’ support – and the captaincy for the new season.
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After 62 days of preparation, the time has finally come: the Werkself kick off the new Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga season on Sunday (16:00 CEST) with an away match at RB Leipzig. Following a major shake-up over the summer, with eleven players leaving and twelve new signings, initial impressions from the past few weeks have given manager Roberto Pätzold great cause for optimism.
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SV Wehen Wiesbaden undoubtedly envisaged a different start to the new season. After two matchdays, the Hessen side currently sit bottom of the Liga 3 table. On Saturday 22 August (kick-off: 13:00 CEST), SVWW host the Werkself in the first round of the DFB Pokal at their home ground, the BRITA Arena. It was there, in this very competition a year ago, that the club almost pulled off a massive upset. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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