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."
A special afternoon at the Bayer 04 Football Academy autumn camp: At the Liga 20 indoor football centre, in the shadow of the BayArena, two Werkself women’s team players led a training session. Loreen Bender and Selina Ostermeier not only offered the young players advice and support, but also got stuck in themselves.
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Once the final whistle was blown, it was time to take a deep breath. 2-0 down and a 5–2 win in the end. It was a nerve-wracking affair against FC Nürnberg in the second round of the 2026–27 DFB Pokal. Jonas Hofmann said – “We didn’t let our heads drop” – hitting the nail on the head. Indeed, it was clear the Werkself were not prepared to accept elimination from the DFB Pokal. So they went on to score. The Black and Reds made their presence felt with a goal just before half-time, followed by four more in the second half. Or, to put it another way: Edmond Tapsoba’s first Bayer 04 brace, a clinical penalty from Patrik Schick, yet another precision strike from Hofmann and a blistering volley from Lucas Vázquez. Each goal more beautiful than the last! After the match, head coach Carles Martínez praised his team’s commitment above all else and the fact that they never lost belief in themselves. The Werkself review.
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Werkself-TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04's 5-2 win against 1. FC Nürnberg in the second round of the DFB-Pokal 2026/27...
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Bayer 04 came from 2-0 down to beat Nürnberg 5-2 in the second round of the 2026/27 DFB Pokal on Wednesday night. Edmond Tapsoba’s double either side of half-time sparked the turnaround, before Patrik Schick, Jonas Hofmann and Lucas Vázquez ensured progress to the last 16 for the 2024 cup winners.
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