
Support from ‘outside’ was not hidden from the press. "Around 80 Bayer fans vocally celebrated the victory against their archrivals in front of the stadium," wrote the EXPRESS, "their chants could be heard in the ground and on TV in the closing stages."
The fact they were able to celebrate the derby victory was in part due to a lightning start by the Werkself. "Diaby left Jannes Horn standing on the right and then provided a pinpoint cross to Bailey at the far post," reports kicker online in praising the assist for the first goal.
The online report on the Eurosport website describes the goalscorer returning the favour in the second half as follows: "Bailey and Diaby counter-attacked following a Köln corner but this time it was Bailey who provided a perfect assist for Diaby with the Frenchman turning the ball into an empty net from close range after Bailey had already taken Timo and Jannes Horn out of the game."
Double goalscorer Bailey received top marks from RP online – also due to his excellent individual move for the final goal. "The 23-year-old was put through by substitute Kerem Demirbay, he evaded Rafael Czichos, Noah Katterbach and Sebastiaan Bornauw in succession and slotted the ball away to make it 3-0," is their assessment.
For the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, Bailey was the 'Man of the Match' and 'Best man on the pitch'. "Bayer 04's Jamaican winger scored two goals and provided one assist in his first start under Hannes Wolf," reports the newspaper. "His great solo run to make it 3-0 was the result of his pace and his determination."
BILD reviews the impressive start made by Hannes Wolf and looks to the immediate future. "Leverkusen are back on course for the Europa League after the win," writes the newspaper. "The club have picked up seven points in three games under Wolf. They now face the almost certain champions in Munich on Tuesday."
The assessment in Die Welt looks even higher. "Leverkusen (…) move above Borussia Dortmund into fifth place at least overnight and reinforce (…) their European ambition," is in the online edition of the newspaper. "Fourth place and qualification for the Champions League is still six points away with five games left in the season."

Standing on the pitch where the Werkself players perform - for many Bayer 04 club members, this wish became reality at this year's Members' kickabout. Around 400 active participants of all ages took the opportunity to experience the BayArena from a new and special perspective. And there was also plenty going on in the stands: The event attracted more than 1,000 visitors in total and provided an atmospheric end to the season.
Show more
Lying third in the Bundesliga, the Werkself made a faltering start in 2026 after the winter break, but gradually rediscovered winning ways and, as in the previous campaign, were among the top 16 in Europe and the top four in the DFB Pokal. In the Bundesliga, the Werkself also remained in the race for Champions League qualification right to the end. However, because setbacks repeatedly crept into the Werkself's performances between good displays and crucial games, it was not quite enough to secure a UCL spot in the end. A season with many ups and downs brought sixth place and qualification for the UEFA Europa League. Part II of the review of the 2025/26 season.
Show more
Rogier Meijer is leaving Bayer 04 Leverkusen and returning to his native Netherlands: The 44-year-old will take over at Eredivisie club Sparta Rotterdam on 1 July. Meijer has been part of the Werkself coaching set-up since the start of the 2025/26 season - first as assistant coach to Erik ten Hag, then on Kasper Hjulmand's staff.
Show more
Following the final match of the 2025/26 season, the prevailing feeling was naturally one of disappointment after missing out on qualification for the Champions League. The Werkself finished the Bundesliga in sixth place, meaning they'll start the 2026/27 campaign in the Europa League. "But to talk negatively about everything now because of that would be wrong," stressed captain Robert Andrich following the final game, knowing that the past year at Bayer 04 was marked, more than almost any other, by the start of a new era and the courage to change – and in particular, the belief in a positive direction. Everyone was aware this process would need time. The first part of the 2025/26 season review.
Show more