The Kölner Stadt Anzeiger writes under the headline: 'Still flying high':"When it went dark, fluorescent lights, which had been placed on the seats or on the terrace for the fans, flickered around the BayArena. The performance of the Werkself in the last home game of the year was not quite so spectacular. However, they continued their rise to the top spots in the Bundesliga with a 1-0 win against Werder Bremen although there was an unnecessary scare at the end. But that is a new quality of Bayer 04: One goal is enough if required. That was the twelfth game unbeaten in succession across all competitions." Leon Bailey was named the man of the match: "Of course, the man for the special moment in Leverkusen's game did it once again. The assist for the goal to make it 1-0 was again a mix of high pace and precision that few players possess."
The Kölnische Rundschau headline "Clever Werkself" refers to the coming year: "Bayer Leverkusen have continued their impressive run and are now in a Champions League place. Thanks to the 1-0 win against Werder Bremen, the Werkself are unbeaten for the eleventh time in succession on Bundesliga matchday 16 and have moved up to fourth place. If Bayer, with Lucas Alario scoring the winner on 11 minutes, win in the final matchday of the year at Hannover 96 then the opening match of the second half of the season against league leaders Bayern Munich on 12 January should be a real cracker."
The Kicker observes: "Bayer 04 are back in a Champions League position for the first time in 18 months after the Werkself were 17th in the table after three games. The climb up the league continues." And the specialist magazine also emphasises the successful rotation performed by Heiko Herrlich: "Lucas Alario, who is only been in the starting eleven once in the last six games, scored the only goal of the game. In addition to the introduction of the €19 million signing, Heiko Herrlich made three changes from the side that won 2-0 at Stuttgart. The fact the Werkself coach regularly changes his line-up is now readily accepted in Leverkusen... "So the Herrlich rotation moves Bayer up the league. And not just because Alario scored. Julian Baumgartlinger was also impressive in the holding midfield role against Werder."
The Bild Zeitung has even made the exact calculation: "Back in a Champions League spot after 579 days: Alario wins it for Bayer. The long drought is over!"
The Express writes: "The Werkself are unstoppable – even against bogey teams. Heiko Herrlich (46) and his team remain unbeaten for the eleventh game in succession after a 1-0 win against Werder Bremen. The victory takes Leverkusen up to a Champions League spot of fourth place – thanks to the sniffer Lucas Alario (25). 'El pipa' finally showed he has recovered his nose for a goal. After hitting the woodwork twice in Frankfurt, Lucas Alario was on the spot to score with his first chance in the game against Werder."
Kicking off the new season with a fresh look: Bayer 04, in collaboration with sportswear manufacturer New Balance, has unveiled the official kit for Leverkusen’s e-Sports players for the coming season. The jersey is now available from the Bayer 04 online shop and the Fanwelt.
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Paulo Sergio and Bayer 04 have enjoyed close ties since the Werkself training camp in his native Brazil last summer. The club legend is in charge of the Bayer 04 Soccer Academy, which opened in the summer of 2025, and he has also been at this year’s training camp in the Weimarer Land. As well as interacting with the many fans who travelled to the camp, the 1994 World Cup winner used the time to plan the next steps for the Academy together with club officials. In an interview with bayer04.de, Sergio spoke about the project’s future development, the upcoming visit by young Academy players to Leverkusen, and plans for the coming months in Germany and Brazil.
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A round-up of the Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land, all in one place: in our daily blog you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day five (Thursday 6 August) is as follows: The squad have the final open session of the training camp in the morning. After lunch, there will be a team event.
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A round-up of the Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land, all in one place: in our daily blog you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day four (Wednesday 5 August) is all about training. The day begins with a gruelling open training session – new signing Miguel Gutiérrez also takes part. A second session follows in the afternoon, this time behind closed doors.
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At the training camp in the Weimarer Land region, Bayer 04 head coach Carles Martínez and his long-standing assistant Pol García talk about their first few weeks with the Werkself, their expectations of their own work, the coaching staff and the squad, as well as the style of football they want the team to play. They emphasise the importance of a winning mentality within the team, comment on cultural and personal differences in the world of football, and outline their goals for the coming season...
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