
The Werkself kick off the new season with the top game on matchday 1 away to Rhine rivals Borussia Mönchengladbach and the home game against Borussia Dortmund is also on a Saturday night. The away fixture at the champions of Germany Bayern Munich is on a Saturday afternoon. The Rhine clash at Fortuna Düsseldorf is on the Wednesday after the Herrlich team are at home to Mainz on a Sunday.
Matchday 1: Saturday, 25 August, 18.30 CET: Borussia M'gladbach v Bayer 04
Matchday 2: Saturday, 1 September, 15.30 CET: Bayer 04 v VfL Wolfsburg
Matchday 3: Saturday, 15 September, 15.30 CET: FC Bayern Munich v Bayer 04
Matchday 4: Sunday, 23 September, 15.30 CET: Bayer 04 v FSV Mainz 05
Matchday 5: Wednesday, 26 September, 18.30 CET: Fortuna Düsseldorf v Bayer 04
Matchday 6: Saturday, 29 September, 18.30 CET: Bayer 04 v Borussia Dortmund
A week ahead of the Bundesliga start, the Werkself are away to Oberliga side CfR Pforzheim in the First Round of the DFB Cup (Saturday, 18 August, 15.30 CET). The first matchday in the group stage of the Europa League is on Thursdays (20 September) between matchdays 3 and 4.


The European jersey has been launched, the UEL opponents have been drawn – and anticipation for the European campaign is running high. To mark the occasion, an autograph session was held on Friday afternoon, 28 August, at the Fanwelt with current Werkself player Montrell Culbreath and official club legend Paulo Sergio.
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After six and a half years, Exequiel Palacios is leaving the Bundesliga and moving from Bayer 04 to the Premier League. The Argentine, who as a Werkself player won the World Cup with his national team four years ago and finished as runners-up at this summer’s tournament, will play for newly promoted English side Ipswich Town with immediate effect. The 27-year-old, whose contract in Leverkusen was due to run until 30 June 2030, joined Bayer 04 in January 2020 as a promising young talent. He steadily developed into one of the best defensive midfielders in the German top flight.
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When Exequiel Palacios moved from the Argentinian club River Plate to Bayer Leverkusen on 1 January 2020, the then 21-year-old could not have imagined just how successful the next six and a half years would be for him. Pala, as he is known, had already won the Copa Libertadores – the most prestigious competition in South American club football – with River Plate. But there were still so many more trophies to come.
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To mark Exequiel Palacios’s departure, we’ve put together a compilation of the midfielder’s finest and most important goals from his six-and-a-half years at the club.
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