First leg Thursday 16 February:
Bayer 04 Leverkusen vs AS Monaco
Second leg Thursday 23 February:
AS Monaco vs Bayer 04 Leverkusen
The eight group runners-up in the UEFA Europa League were in Pot 1; the balls for the teams finishing third in the groups in the UEFA Champions League – including Bayer 04 – were in Pot 2. Clubs from the same football association cannot play each other at this stage.
Simon Rolfes, Bayer 04 sporting managing director, said: "A French opponent was to be expected in the draw. And now it is actually AS Monaco. I think it's an attractive draw. We have met in Europe several times and they have always been tight and closely fought games. Monaco are currently fifth in the French league and again in the race for the top spots. They are a strong attacking side with a very good squad and our fans can look forward to seeing them at the BayArena. I expect two equally contested games but our target is obviously to go through to the Round of 16 in the Europa League. A highly interesting competition as these play-offs show – with quality teams facing each other. Of course, we are particularly looking forward to meeting up with Kevin Volland. That in itself makes this clash special."
Do you want to watch the clash with AS Monaco at the BayArena? Then get the Rückrunde season card to guarantee your place. Click here for the Rückrunde season card.
Individual match tickets for the Europa League home game against AS Monaco, including former Leverkusen player Kevin Volland, as well as tickets for home games in the Bundesliga Rückrunde will go on sale at a later date.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen vs AS Monaco
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It was another incredibly close call in the end: The second showdown in the 2026/27 VBL Club Championship saw the #B04eSports team once again narrowly miss out on a place in the top 16 of the preliminary round – and with it, a spot in the in-person knockout stage. It was a bitter blow: Marc and Sean Landwehr again fell just short, despite being level on points with their rivals. As was the case last month, their weaker record across the twelve individual matches in the six preliminary round fixtures proved decisive.
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“They stuck with us over the past few weeks when things weren’t going so well,” said captain Edmond Tapsoba, thanking the fans for their support after the 2–1 win in Cologne and dedicating the derby victory to them. Throughout the 90 minutes, the Werkself had looked unfazed and in command, inflicting the first home defeat of the season on FC Köln. It was the sixth consecutive win against the Cologne team for Bayer 04 – head coach Carles Martínez, on the other hand, was facing the team from the neighbouring city for the first time and “now really knows what this derby win means”. The Werkself derby review.
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Following the 2–1 derby victory away at FC Köln on Bundesliga matchday 9, Edmond Tapsoba, Malik Tillman and Aleix Garcia spoke to Werkself TV...
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Werkself TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04's 2-1 derby win at 1. FC Köln Matchday 9 of the 2026/27 Bundesliga season...
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There were celebrations among those in black and red at the RheinEnergieSTADION. On Matchday 9 of the 2026/27 Bundesliga season, the Werkself beat 1. FC Köln 2-0 and registered their sixth successive win in the derby. Aleix Garcia put Bayer 04 in front after just seven minutes with a direct free kick. Leverkusen played with discipline and energy after that and didn't allow some fierce challenges to unsettle them. Patrik Schick made it 2-0 in the 86th minute, and Said El Mala's goal in stoppage time for Köln proved nothing more than consolation. Jonas Hofmann crowned the derby win with his 100th appearance for the club.
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