Not just the stands will be full of fans tonight. There will be a bigger than usual attendance by journalists and media representatives: Hradecky, Havertz and Co. will be broadcast across the globe on 80 different TV stations. In addition, 77 print journalists and 74 photographers have accredited. Any fans unable to get a ticket can watch the game on the streaming service DAZN, follow the live text commentary at bayer04.de or tune into Werkself Radio.
Bayer 04 supporters can look forward to a real treat ahead of kick-off: There will be a pre-match show on the touchline from around 19.40 CET. Two honorary Werkself captains, Stefan Kießling and Carsten Ramelow will be there. The show will be on Bayer 04 TV, on our YouTube channel as well as our Facebook page.
A goal for the Werkself or the visitors will do tonight: The French referee Benoit Bastien has officiated three European games involving German teams to date – all ended in goalless draws: The clash between FC Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund in 2018, the Europa League play-off first leg match between RB Leipzig and Sorja Luhansk plus a 0-0 draw between Schalke and Galatasaray. The Werkself will be happy to break the cycle of stats with at least one goal against Juve.
When Pascal Ojigwe was 18 years old, FC Kaiserslautern signed the Nigerian from his home country in 1995 – and the midfielder then spent 11 years in Germany. Bayer 04 signed the former Nigeria international five years later. Ojigwe went on to be a runner-up with the Werkself in the Bundesliga, DFB Cup and the Champions League playing 55 games for the Black and Reds. Pascal today celebrates his 43rd birthday. Bayer 04 wish him many happy returns.
Bayern Munich come to the BayArena this Saturday with an 11-point lead in the Bundesliga as they look to take a step closer to the title. As imperious as they may seem, a weakness has emerged of late that the Werkself proved they can exploit in Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal in the Champions League. Leverkusen are also looking to make it four Bundesliga home games unbeaten against the Bavarians. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the 15:30 CET kick-off in our matchday news.
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Another home game, another top opponent - another marker? Three days after their convincing performance in the 1-1 draw with Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg, Bayer 04 continue their Bundesliga campaign with an equally high-calibre fixture. Matchday 26 sees league leaders Bayern Munich visit the sold-out BayArena. Ahead of the clash, head coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke about a comparison between Arsenal and the Bavarians, Bayern's high-scoring performance in Europe's premier club competition and a return to the squad for one Werkself player.
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High spirits and previously untold stories: Around 100 Bayer 04 fans packed the Schwadbud fan pub in the east stand of the BayArena on Thursday evening to be there in person for the first instalment of the new series of events entitled “Rudi lädt ein” (Rudi invites you). They listened intently as long-serving Werkself players Gonzalo Castro and Stefan Kießling chatted with record appearance-maker Rüdiger Vollborn and presenter and stadium announcer Tobias Ufer about their many years together at the club, shared amusing anecdotes and revealed dressing room secrets. Anyone who missed the premiere can already look forward to the second instalment – on 12 May, Rudi will be testing the expert knowledge of Bayer 04 fans during a quiz night.
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The Bundesliga home game against VfL Wolfsburg in the first half of the season was one of those classic ‘days to forget’ for Bayer 04 Women. It started with goalkeeper Charlotte Voll being shown a red card in the first minute of the game, and following a further sending-off, coach Roberto Pätzold's 9-women side ended up losing 5-1 to last season's runners-up. At 18.30 CET on Sunday, they'll have the chance to exact revenge at the AOK Stadium - and pick up valuable points in the race for third place.
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They're well on their way to becoming German champions for the 35th time and once again proved their incredible class in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday. This Saturday, 14 March (kick-off: 15.30 CET), Bayern Munich will be the visitors to the BayArena. It'll be a meeting of the two Bundesliga teams with the most dominant styles of play. A look at our opponents shows the visitors from the Bavarian capital have many strengths - but are also vulnerable.
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