"We’re ready and looking forward to the first game in the league," said Werkself head coach Peter Bosz at the pre-match press conference held at the media centre at the BayArena on Friday afternoon. The opposition is also a reason. "I followed them last season in the second division: They play on the front foot and the coach is very courageous – I like that," said Bosz in praising the freewheeling playing philosophy of SC Paderborn, whose coach Steffen Baumgart he played alongside at Hansa Rostock from January to July 1998. Given the attacking style of play of the two teams, the 55-year-old sees a good chance that "tomorrow's game won't end in a goalless draw" and he believes the spectators will be entertained.
The Dutchman will have to manage without Joel Pohjanpalo (ankle) and Mitchell Weiser against the second division runners-up. The 25-year-old who scored his first Bundesliga goal against Paderborn four and a half years ago, suffered a bruised foot in the pre-season and only started individual training at the start of the week following a three-week stint on the sidelines. The rest of the squad took part in full training according to Bosz who is looking to start the Bundesliga campaign with a win after the previous three opening fixtures in the league ended in defeat.
In 2015/16 the Werkself last started the season with a win in a 2-1 victory over TSG Hoffenheim. "It's always very important to get a start like that – you want to win the game to feel good. So it will be important we are fully focused tomorrow," demanded Bosz who has been working on fine tuning the Werkself over the course of the week. "We saw in the Cup game against Aachen that we’re on the right track but we have to improve. And I hope that's the case against Paderborn."
The record against the Sport Club from East Westphalia-Lippe, founded in 1907, looks good up to now: Bayer 04 and SCP have only met twice before – in the first season Paderborn were in the Bundesliga: a 2-2 draw at the BayArena followed a 3-0 away win at the Benteler Arena. To make sure that continues and hopefully to mark a successful start to the season, the fan groups have come up with something special for the start of the season. At 13.30 CET, when the Werkself arrive in the team bus along Bismarckstraße ( by the 'Stadioneck'), Lars Bender, Kevin Volland and Co. will be greeted with an emotional, black and red reception. "We can't do without the fans – there were lots of them in Aachen and last season we saw that we need them. Support is very important – it can make the difference you need to win a game," said Bosz impressed by the event.
Tickets are available on the day the Paderborn game that will also see Rüdiger Vollborn and Stefan Kießling named Bayer 04 honorary captains.
Latest match info
Weather forecast: 21 degrees, cloudy
Referee: Tobias Stieler
Live on Werks11-Radio: bayer04.de
Live TV broadcaster: Sky Sport
Bayer 04 Leverkusen will to have manage without forward Eliesse Ben Seghir. The Morocco international suffered a ligament injury in his left ankle before the AFCON final defeat against Senegal (0-1 a.e.t.).
Show more
The VBL Club Championship 2025/26 continues. Tonight, 27 January (live on Twitch and on the Bayer 04 app from 18:00 CET), the Leverkusen eSports team will play the remaining three matches in the online preliminary round of Showdown Four. They are up against FC Kaiserslautern, SC Freiburg and the current club champions and Showdown Three winners RB Leipzig, with whom Bayer 04, club runners-up and Showdown One winners, shared some memorable moments, especially last year. The lowdown on our next opponents.
Show more
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have signed Swiss goalkeeper Jonas Omlin from Borussia Mönchengladbach. The 32-year-old joins the Werkself from the Lower Rhine Bundesliga club on loan to the end of the current season. This is the reaction of Bayer 04 to the injury to first choice keeper Mark Flekken, who faces a long spell on the sidelines.
Show more
Welcome to Leverkusen, Jonas Omlin. Bayer 04 have signed the 32-year-old goalkeeper on loan from Bundesliga side Borussia Mönchengladbach until the end of the season. Managing director sport Simon Rolfes described the Swiss shot stopper, signed by the Werkself in reaction to the long-term absence of first choice keeper Mark Flekken, as an "internationally experienced keeper." Bayer04.de takes a closer look at the new signing, who will wear the number 18 jersey.
Show more
Lucas Vázquez was the hero in Saturday's 1-0 home win against Werder Bremen, when the Spaniard scored his first Bundesliga goal to secure an important victory for Leverkusen. The 34-year-old right-sided recently met up with the Werkself magazine for an interview in the Düsseldorf restaurant Casa Galicia after the first few months of settling in to his new home in Germany. Over tapas, the five-time Champions League winner, who left Real Madrid in the summer after 18 years to continue his career at Bayer 04, spoke about his career to date, the new challenge in Leverkusen and the importance of family - and he paid a big compliment to the fans of his new club.
Show more
