Today's DFB Cup tie is the first meeting of the Regional League side from Hamburg – Ottensen and the Werkself. That makes T05 opponent number 213 for Bayer 04 in professional football.
Teutonia qualified for the DFB Cup for the second time in succession this year – and indeed for the second time ever. Last season they went out to the eventual DFB Cup winners RB Leipzig in an 8-0 defeat.
The T05 team, managed by the Austrian coach Dominik Glawogger and his assistant and former St Pauli player André Trulsen, can expect to face attacking and goal hungry opponents this afternoon. Bayer 04 have scored in every one of their past 26 cup ties with no other club currently having such a long run of scoring in this competition. The Werkself have also scored in the last 31 away cup ties – that is a current record in the DFB Cup.
The new third kit will be used for the first time at St Pauli’s Millerntor stadium. The shirt represents the three regional rivers of the Wupper, Dhünn and Rhine that meet in Leverkusen in the form of white lines on a cyan blue background. The new third kit is available online at at Bayer 04 fan shops. You can order the shirt HERE.
There will be a Man of the Match award at every DFB Cup tie this season. The selection will be made by a jury composed up of representatives of the sporting management of the Germany national teams. That includes male and female coaches with the DFB (U15s up to senior national teams). The trophy will be presented after the final whistle as part of an interview by the TV rights holder Sky.
Bayer 04 head coach Xabi Alonso will make his debut on the touchline as a coach in the DFB Cup tie against Ottensen. His experience in the cup is different as a player at Bayer Munich: He won the DFB Cup with the record champions in the 2015/16 season. He made a total of eleven appearances in this competition.
The German Football Association (DFB) has appointed Tom Bauer as the match referee. The 26-year-old will be assisted by Rafael Foltyn and Felix Prigan and the fourth official is Alexander Roppelt. VAR is not used in the first round of the DFB Cup.
While the Werkself only start in the Bundesliga next weekend, Teutonia 05 have already played two matches in the Regional League North – with great success: The team from the Hanseatic city won both games scoring eight goals and keeping two clean sheets. That puts T05 top of the table. Further information on today's opponents are available in the lowdown on our next opponents.
As usual, Werkself Radio is available for anybody unable to be at today's game. The audio broadcast begins 30 minutes before kick-off with commentary provided by Cedric Pick and Niko Hartmann. In addition, the live text update service will keep you up-to-date to ensure you don't miss any of the key match action. Both Werkself Radio and the live text update service are available at bayer04.de and on the Bayer 04 app – just log on.
Less than a year ago, Kerim Alajbegovic moved from the Bayer 04 U19s to Austrian top-flight club FC Red Bull Salzburg. The forward’s development since then has been impressive. In 36 matches, including in the UEFA Europa League, the 18-year-old has scored 14 goals. In the summer, Alajbegovic, now a Bosnia international, will return to Leverkusen - and thus not only achieve the next milestone still early in his career, but also enrich the Werkself squad with his footballing versatility and determination.
Show more
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended the contract with forward Nathan Tella ahead of schedule. The versatile 26-year-old, who can be deployed as a right winger, false nine or left winger, has penned a new contract to 30 June 2031. Tella joined the Werkself from Championship club Southampton in 2023. His previous contract ran to the summer of 2028.
Show more
Nathan Tella has extended his contract with Bayer 04 to 2031. In an interview with Werkself TV, the 26-year-old talks about fulfilling his dreams, his positive outlook on life and his goals for the future. He answers the questions in English - all except the last one, which he addresses directly to the fans...
Show more
In the final international break in the current 2025/26 campaign, Bayer 04 striker Patrik Schick with Czechia will be battling for a place at the World Cup. Meanwhile, national teams that have already qualified, include other Werkself players called up, are involved in friendlies in the build-up to the World Cup. Read on for an overview of the Leverkusen internationals and their match dates.
Show more
The Werkself kicked off the final international break of the current season on Monday morning with the first of three open training sessions this week. While eleven Bayer 04 players will be away on international duty in the coming days, the other players will be working together in Leverkusen. The next challenge in the Bundesliga awaits on Saturday, 4 April (kick-off: 15:30 CEST) with the home game against VfL Wolfsburg.
Show more
