The clash between Bayer 04 and Bayern Munich is the first time the top two teams have played each other this season – as it stands ahead of matchday eight. Both teams are currently level on points with 16 each with Bayern (+17) just ahead of the Werkself (+13) on goal difference.
"It will be the first time the stadium has been full," said Seoane looking forward to the forthcoming top match at the BayArena with a crowd of 30,000 for the first time since March 2020. "That's enough of a reason to be happy." Of course, the situation in the table gives the game "a certain edge" but the Swiss coach does not want to exaggerate: "We are taking this game as a reference point to find out where we are up to against the best team in Germany."
Seoane almost has his full squad to choose from. Timothy Fosu-Mensah (rehab training after torn cruciate) and Julian Baumgartlinger (cruciate injury) are not available to the Leverkusen head coach. Lucas Alario and Exequiel Palacios will return from international duty today (Friday). "With Piero Hincapie it will be late afternoon on Saturday as he has to take another couple of flights," explained the 42-year-old who will be able to plan for the squad on Sunday to include the last three players returning from international duty.
Talking about returns: Edmond Tapsoba, who tore an ankle ligament in the middle of July, could return to the squad against Bayern. The 6' 4'' four defender from Burkina Faso completed all the training sessions with the team this week Seoane: "We are very happy to have Eddy back in training. But he definitely needs one or two more training sessions. We will try to bring him back into the team through training and short appearances as he's very important to us. We'll decide tomorrow if he will be in the squad for Sunday."
There is no doubt about the appearance of Bayer 04 striker Patrik Schick. The Czech Republic striker has scored six goals in the Bundesliga this term and is amongst the top goalscorers behind Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund) and FC Bayern's Robert Lewandowski (both on seven). "You can't mark a player like Lewandowski completely out of the game," said Seoane, "but we don't just want to focus on one player. We want to be brave and aggressive but at the same time realise you have to defend deep against an opponent like that at times."
The coach knows about the degree of difficulty in this challenge. Therefore he demanded: "All the players have to be disciplined. You can't give much away against Bayern. We have to support each other in difficult moments and know that we need to produce a good performance. That's the target we are setting ourselves." Before the first international break there was a narrow 4-3 defeat. Seoane: "We want to do better against Bayern."
Less than a year ago, Kerim Alajbegovic moved from the Bayer 04 U19s to Austrian top-flight club FC Red Bull Salzburg. The forward’s development since then has been impressive. In 36 matches, including in the UEFA Europa League, the 18-year-old has scored 14 goals. In the summer, Alajbegovic, now a Bosnia international, will return to Leverkusen - and thus not only achieve the next milestone still early in his career, but also enrich the Werkself squad with his footballing versatility and determination.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended the contract with forward Nathan Tella ahead of schedule. The versatile 26-year-old, who can be deployed as a right winger, false nine or left winger, has penned a new contract to 30 June 2031. Tella joined the Werkself from Championship club Southampton in 2023. His previous contract ran to the summer of 2028.
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Nathan Tella has extended his contract with Bayer 04 to 2031. In an interview with Werkself TV, the 26-year-old talks about fulfilling his dreams, his positive outlook on life and his goals for the future. He answers the questions in English - all except the last one, which he addresses directly to the fans...
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In the final international break in the current 2025/26 campaign, Bayer 04 striker Patrik Schick with Czechia will be battling for a place at the World Cup. Meanwhile, national teams that have already qualified, include other Werkself players called up, are involved in friendlies in the build-up to the World Cup. Read on for an overview of the Leverkusen internationals and their match dates.
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The Werkself kicked off the final international break of the current season on Monday morning with the first of three open training sessions this week. While eleven Bayer 04 players will be away on international duty in the coming days, the other players will be working together in Leverkusen. The next challenge in the Bundesliga awaits on Saturday, 4 April (kick-off: 15:30 CEST) with the home game against VfL Wolfsburg.
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