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Bayer 04’s most recent encounter with Paderborn came in July as Alonso’s side were beaten 2-1 in a pre-season friendly. Things were very different ahead of that game in Velbert compared to this week’s cup tie. “The game has still taught us a few helpful lessons,” the boss said at his press conference on Tuesday.
While Leverkusen have so far seen off opponents from lower leagues in the first two rounds, beating Teutonia Ottensen of the fourth tier and Sandhausen of the third division, Paderborn have claimed a 7-0 win at Energie Cottbus and stunned Bundesliga side Freiburg with a 3-1 away victory. “They played really well with and without the ball against Freiburg, showed a mature performance,” Alonso stated. “We can’t relax in this game but have to play with much more patience and control.”
The Spaniard is excited ahead of the round of 16 in a “special competition. The DFB-Pokal isn’t the easiest route to winning a title. There isn’t one. But it’s the shortest,” he added, once again calling for the great support of the fans. A total of 29,000 tickets have so far been sold for Wednesday’s game, with Bayer 04 expecting a sold-out home crowd. Around 2,300 fans are expected to come from Paderborn.
Alonso also confirmed at the press conference that Arthur suffered another injury in training on money. A precise diagnosis is still to be confirmed. All other players are available for the 42-year-old against Paderborn.
And while Alonso didn’t want to give any hints to his line-up when it comes to outfield players, he did confirm who his goalkeeper will be. “Matej Kovar will be in goal. It’s not a general decision but one for this game. It’s what we’ve always done so far.”
Talking about greater potential rotation, the coach stressed that every player is important: “I never talk about rotation but about the entire squad. So far, we’ve done things well. It’s a luxury to be able to decide.”
Ten years after retiring as a player, Kristina Sundov is returning to the Bayer 04 Women’s team as assistant coach. The 39-year-old former Croatia international takes over from Remzi Kahraman, who has taken up a new challenge abroad. She has been given a contract to 30 June 2028.
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The training pitches at the BayArena are already buzzing with activity again, even before training officially begins next week. On Monday morning, a small group from the Werkself first-team squad completed a session lasting around an hour. Both new and familiar faces were present.
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One ticket, two matches – and a varied programme of events, including appearances by players from the professional teams: Bayer 04 has come up with something very special for the 2026 season launch on Saturday, 8 August. From morning right through to the evening, Werkself fans can use just one ticket to not only enjoy top-class football from the Bayer 04 teams live, but also to experience unforgettable moments with the whole family through a variety of hands-on activities around the BayArena and the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. The day will also end on a real high note: after both matches, Bayer 04 supporters will have the opportunity to interact directly with the players during joint activities and get to know them from a different angle.
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Issa Traoré is moving from Bayer 04 Leverkusen to Slovakian top-flight side AS Trencin. The club has loaned the centre-back out for one year to this year’s ninth-placed team in the Slovakian league.
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