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.
The German Football League (DFL) has announced the three candidates for the title of Bundesliga Rookie of the Month for January. That includes Werkself player Jarell Quansah. Fans of Bayer 04 can vote for their favourite on the Bundesliga app from now until Thursday, 5 January (23:59 CET).
Show more
As in the past two years, the Werkself are aiming to come out on top in the DFB Pokal quarter-finals on Tuesday night, 3 February (kick-off: 20:45 CET). With eleven home games in a row without defeat against the Kiezkicker, the Black and Reds go into the floodlit match in confident mood. But the Pokal, as is often said, has its own magic and the team from the Millerntor has much more to offer than the current 17th place in the Bundesliga would suggest. After all, Bayer 04 are one of the big German teams the combative Hamburgers have already made life difficult for this season. The matchday news.
Show more
The Leverkusen eSports team picked up valuable points and made up ground in the overall table with a top four finish in the offline round in Showdown 4 in the VBL Club Championship 2025/26. In the round of 16, Showdown 1 winners Bayer 04 defeated the unbeaten runners-up in the previous round, VfL Bochum, in a thrilling penalty shoot-out. The Landwehr cousins, themselves the current club runners-up, then beat the current club champions and Showdown 3 winners RB Leipzig. It was not until the semi-finals that they lost out to the eventual showdown winners Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Show more
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have strengthened the goalkeeper position for the second half of the season. Germany keeper Rafaela Borggräfe has joined the Werkself on loan from English FA Women's Super League (WSL) club Liverpool until the end of the season.
Show more
Bayer 04 have agreed a loan move for U19s striker Ken Izekor to join Bundesliga 2 club Eintracht Braunschweig on loan for the rest of the 2025/26 season.
Show more
