…selection options – apart from long-term injuries Pohjanpalo and Retsos: "Lars Bender is ruled out for tomorrow due to a thigh problem, otherwise everybody else is available."
…Lars Bender's injury: "He injured himself in training yesterday. I don't know exactly what's up – the doctor has just told me he can't play tomorrow."
…opponents Bayern Munich: "They've improved and are now playing better than before the winter break. They have a good team but we also have a good team. And so I'm expecting – as was the case before the matches against Gladbach and Wolfsburg – an interesting and intense game."
…tomorrow's encounter: "If you want to get a good result against Bayern then everything has to go right – not just the offensive or defensive game. We'll try that tomorrow. I think we've gained confidence from the last two games. Gladbach and Wolfsburg are good teams but it's also clear that Bayern are at another level. That means everything really has to go right tomorrow. And that's what we'll try to do."
…the improvement in his team: "We've been working together for about a month and it's easy to understand that not everything is quite what I'd like to see. But if I look at our last two games then I have to say that I'm very happy. I think we – in this one month – have reached a higher level. But to beat Bayern you have to be right on top of your game."
…increased confidence of his team: "I can't judge that. I've not been here that long but I can say that the players are confident. At the start I didn't have the impression that there was no confidence. I don't know what it was like before I started here and I can only say: Since I've been here, the players are confident – and they've shown it. It's also important that they are confident in the way they play – and they've shown that too."
…potentially helping out his former employers: "Yes, that's right – we can help Dortmund tomorrow but, above all, we can help the nice people who work here at Leverkusen. That's more important to me. We want to help ourselves and we can do that by having a good game."
A fresh look for the BayArena: The Bayer 04 stadium will have new seating in the form of folding seats for the 2026/27 campaign that will ensure significantly improved seating comfort and simplified movement within the rows of seats. As part of routine replacement after 17 years, fans of the Werkself were able to purchase the existing seats, used to witness the first German league title in the club's history. In addition, a large proportion of the seats will be donated to charitable projects, primarily in the local region. Bayer 04 fans can look forward to new, functional folding seats for the season opener at the beginning of August - still in the club colours of black and red, of course. A glimpse at the BayArena during the refurbishment.
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On Monday evening, 8 June, around 250 people came to the Bürgerhaus Baumberg at the invitation of Bayer 04 to find out details of the new plans for the campus on Alfred-Nobel-Straße at an information event. More compact, greener and with many advantages for Monheim am Rhein - those are the aims. There were lively discussions for around three hours and some misunderstandings were cleared up.
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Werkself player Montrell Culbreath and Bayer 04 loanee Francis Onyeka are part of Germany's final squad for the U19 European Championships this summer. The tournament is in Wales from 24 June to 12 July.
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When Malik Tillman arrived at Bayer 04 Leverkusen from PSV Eindhoven last summer, he did more than just add attacking midfield strength to the team — he reconnected the club with a unique and understated American lineage that stretches back more than three decades.
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Bayer 04 are away to third-division club SV Wehen Wiesbaden in the first round of the 2026/27 DFB Pokal. That was the outcome of the draw on Saturday night, 6 June, at the German Football Museum in Dortmund. The Werkself first round tie will be played between 21 and 24 August. The exact date has yet to be finalised.
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