Kai ‘DETO’ Wollin (PlayStation 4) and Fabian ‘B04_DUBZJE’ de Cae (XBOX ONE) qualified for the finals tournament thanks to impressive performances that saw them end third in the Club Championship. The finals will also be played in the so-called 85 mode this year where all the teams have the playing ability level of 85 and therefore have equal chances. The 24 qualifiers – twelve from the Club Championship, twelve via play-offs – play into groups of six per console. The best four players in a group go through to the Round of 16.
The previous league matchday is now almost four months ago. The anticipation is very, very big. I'm looking forward to finally being able to perform again," said B04_DUBJZE ahead of Wednesday’s start in the group stage on 24 June (from 18.00 CET/live on Twitch: b04eSports). The 22-year-old Xbox player has been drawn in an extremely high quality group on paper: In the group stage, De Cae will be playing against the reigning German champion ‘MEGABIT’ (Bremen), ‘XIMPACT10’ (Fürth) and ‘DULLENMIKE’ (Wolfsburg). "It won't be an easy task," said the Werkself player. "But if I'm able to rediscover my performance levels from the Club Championship then it's very possible to at least get through the group stage."
His counterpart on PlayStation 4 also highlights the quality of the opposition. "All the participants deserve to be here – they're the best players in Germany in the 85 mode," said 'DETO'. "Therefore it depends on who's on top form on the day and is able to produce their best performances."
The Black and Red duo on the consoles do have title ambitions after their impressive performances in the Club Championship. De Cae: "We'd be really happy if one of us can win a title for Leverkusen."
The dates of the VBL Grand Final:
24.06. – Group stage (18.00 CET / live on Twitch: b04esports)
25.06. – Round of 16 & quarter-finals (18.00 CET / live on Twitch: b04esports)
28.06. – Semi-finals & final (12.00 CET / live on ProSieben Maxx)
It's finally Champions League time again! Under the motto 'Sound of Dreams', the Werkself's European journey begins on Thursday 18 September (kick-off 18:45 CEST) at FC Copenhagen. The Danes relied on their experience and solid defence in particular to come through qualifying. Nevertheless, their record against German teams is not good, and Bayer 04 also have positive memories of their previous two encounters with FCK. The Matchday News rounds up all the info on the match.
Show moreThe opener in the UEFA Champions League 2025/26: On Thursday, 18 September (kick-off: 18:45 CEST), the Werkself will kick off the new UCL campaign at FC Copenhagen. Ahead of the clash, head coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke about his return to Parken, the Danish record champions' home ground. Goalkeeper Mark Flekken, for his part, was looking forward to his first Champions League game.
Show moreBayer 04's new coach Kasper Hjulmand will kick off the league phase of the UEFA Champions League in his home country: The Danish double winners FC Copenhagen welcome the Werkself to the Parken Stadium on Thursday, 18 September (kick-off: 18:45 CEST/live on DAZN). Hjulmand not only knows the stadium, but also some of the FC Copenhagen players from his time as the Denmark coach. The lowdown on our next opponents.
Show moreBayer 04 are away to FC Copenhagen on the first matchday of the league phase in the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League. The game against the Danish record champions is on Thursday, 18 September (kick-off: 18:45 CEST) at the Parken Stadium. Ahead of the match, here are some travel tips from Bayer 04 partner weloveholidays for all travelling fans of the Werkself.
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