The team under head coach Gerardo Seoane are well and truly back to winning ways: The late victory against Celtic on Thursday night not only saw the Black and Reds win the group with a game to play and secure a slot in the Round of 16. The 3-2 victory was also the third win in the last four games (1 draw). “In comparison with the Bochum match (1-0, ed.) we took a clear step forwards yesterday,” declared Seoane at the pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon. “Above all in being compact at the back. We closed down space well, were aggressive and solid.”
Sunday’s visitors are not the only team in form at the moment. The hosts from Leipzig have recovered in recent weeks. RB made an impressive return to form in the Champions League with a 5-0 runaway win at Club Brugge. Seoane: “That match was enough of a preview. We know what to expect. But we also know we have the players to find the right solutions against them.”
It remains to be seen whether any of the convalescent quartet of Patrik Schick, Lucas Alario, Karim Bellarabi and Charles Aránguiz will be in the squad. “The final decision will be taken on Saturday afternoon in discussion with doctors and the physios,” said Seoane. He did consider including one or the other aforementioned players in the squad for the Europa League match against Celtic but decided against it in the end.
The Werkself are the only team in Germany’s top flight unbeaten on the road. With the first match behind closed doors this term, Lukas Hradecky and Co. will experience new, old circumstances. “Unfortunately, we’ve all been involved in games behind closed doors and we have drawn certain conclusions from those experiences. We’ll get used to it pretty quickly,” declared Seoane. “Of course, it’s a great pity there’ll be no fans at the game. We need them and their emotion.” In view of the precarious situation in Saxony, the Swiss coach said: “It’s clear the public health situation always has to take priority.”
From the 2027/28 season, the Women’s Bundesliga will be organised by an independent league association. Following the unanimous decision taken at the DFB Bundestag (national conference) on Friday afternoon, the league’s separation from the DFB is now official.
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Following the Bundesliga clash against RB Leipzig (Sunday, 20 September, 15:30 CEST), some of the Werkself first team players will be heading off for the first international break of the season. Here is an overview of the Bayer 04 players called up for their national teams and all the details of their upcoming matches.
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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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