One player, above all, would like to change that: Leon Bailey. At the start of February last year in the second half of the 2018/19 season, the Jamaican cancelled out the goal scored by Leon Goretzka. Bailey scored directly from a free kick (53’).The Peter Bosz team won the game 3-1 thanks to goals in the second half from Kevin Volland (63’) and Lucas Alario (89’).
The next match between the Black and Reds and FC Bayern was at the end of November. The Werkself travelled to the Bavarian capital on the back of a four-game unbeaten run. Bailey scored the opening goal after just ten minutes in a high-quality encounter. Thomas Müller equalised after the half-hour mark (34’) but the 22-year-old replied just one minute later to net the winner at 2-1. That was the fourth goal for the Jamaican in a competitive match against the record champions.
There is definitely room for improvement in the overall record of the Werkself against FC Bayern. Before the two above-mentioned clashes, the Black and Reds had only won 17 out of 87 games. Those previous meetings have included one or two great moments.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended midfielder Noah Mbamba’s contract by twelve months and sent the Belgian U21 international on loan to France. At FC Lorient, the 21-year-old – whose contract at Leverkusen now runs to 30 June 2029 – is set to gain playing time in Ligue 1 and, through strong performances and further development, put himself in the running for a future place in the Werkself squad.
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Spurred on by a flawless hat-trick from Cornelia Kramer, the Bayer 04 women’s team won their penultimate pre-season friendly in commanding fashion. As part of the season launch, the Werkself beat Dutch top-flight side Feyenoord 7–0. In front of 3,000 spectators at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium, Kramer (6’, 25’, 45’), Sofie Zdebel (47’), Maja Sternad (59'), Natasha Kowalski (83') and Vanessa Fudalla (86') scored the goals for coach Roberto Pätzold’s side.
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There’s plenty for Bayer 04 fans to enjoy both on and off the pitch at the official 2026 season launch. In addition to the women’s team taking on Feyenoord at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium at 13:15 CEST and the men’s team facing Sevilla at the BayArena at 15:30 CEST, fans of all ages can enjoy a range of activities – and get to meet Bayer 04 players and former players in the process. The Fanwelt is also offering a special promotion: buy a new shirt and get free printing! Here’s an overview of everything you need to know about the season launch, including the live streams.
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A round-up of the Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land, all in one place: in our daily blog you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day six (Friday 7 August) is as follows: This morning, the squad completed their final training session – this time behind closed doors – here in Blankenhain, before heading back to Leverkusen after lunch. The big season launch is scheduled for tomorrow.
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