The Swiss coach is "confident" regarding the clash with the Foals who beat FC Bayern 2-1 in their last outing. The 43-year-old boss has been encouraged by training this week. "The team were very focused and self-critical in dealing with the match against Union Berlin (2-2, ed.)," explained Gerardo Seoane at Friday's pre-match press conference. "The players responded accordingly in training."
Nadiem Amiri has returned at the end of the week. The 25-year-old is fit and healthy after recovering from a Covid-19 infection. "Nadiem made a good impression," said Seoane. "So, he is available for the match."
Asked about media speculation of Amiri moving on, Seoane said: "It's January and the transfer window is open. Speculation is part and parcel of that. There is something to it but there's also an additional element from the media. That doesn't really interest me the day before a game. He's back with us and we're happy about that."
The following players are unavailable for the match against Borussia Mönchengladbach due to injury: Julian Baumgartlinger, Charles Aránguiz and Daley Sinkgraven. In addition, Edmond Tapsoba and Odilon Kossounou are away at the Africa Cup of Nations, goalkeeper Niklas Lomb and Paulinho are still in self-isolation.
The Werkself have now gone four Bundesliga matches without a win. However, that has not created uncertainty in Gerardo Seoane's team as the Swiss coach emphasised: "We are highly motivated and focused on our jobs."
After five league matches without a win, the twelfth-placed team from Mönchengladbach started 2022 with a victory away to the record champions from Munich. In that game, Adi Hütter's team demonstrated their "dynamism and power but also their quality on the pitch. But I'm convinced that we will be able to play our own game and find the right answers."

It was another incredibly close call in the end: The second showdown in the 2026/27 VBL Club Championship saw the #B04eSports team once again narrowly miss out on a place in the top 16 of the preliminary round – and with it, a spot in the in-person knockout stage. It was a bitter blow: Marc and Sean Landwehr again fell just short, despite being level on points with their rivals. As was the case last month, their weaker record across the twelve individual matches in the six preliminary round fixtures proved decisive.
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“They stuck with us over the past few weeks when things weren’t going so well,” said captain Edmond Tapsoba, thanking the fans for their support after the 2–1 win in Cologne and dedicating the derby victory to them. Throughout the 90 minutes, the Werkself had looked unfazed and in command, inflicting the first home defeat of the season on FC Köln. It was the sixth consecutive win against the Cologne team for Bayer 04 – head coach Carles Martínez, on the other hand, was facing the team from the neighbouring city for the first time and “now really knows what this derby win means”. The Werkself derby review.
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Following the 2–1 derby victory away at FC Köln on Bundesliga matchday 9, Edmond Tapsoba, Malik Tillman and Aleix Garcia spoke to Werkself TV...
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Werkself TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04's 2-1 derby win at 1. FC Köln Matchday 9 of the 2026/27 Bundesliga season...
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There were celebrations among those in black and red at the RheinEnergieSTADION. On Matchday 9 of the 2026/27 Bundesliga season, the Werkself beat 1. FC Köln 2-0 and registered their sixth successive win in the derby. Aleix Garcia put Bayer 04 in front after just seven minutes with a direct free kick. Leverkusen played with discipline and energy after that and didn't allow some fierce challenges to unsettle them. Patrik Schick made it 2-0 in the 86th minute, and Said El Mala's goal in stoppage time for Köln proved nothing more than consolation. Jonas Hofmann crowned the derby win with his 100th appearance for the club.
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