…his first impressions at Bayer 04: Up to now it has all been very positive. There are lots of new faces and names that I'll have to get used to – sometimes I have to ask again. (He laughs) Mitchell Weiser and Joel Pohjanpalo are two players I know from the past. I often used to play against Mitch in the youth teams because we were both born in 1994. Also I played alongside him in the Germany youth team. And I know Joel from last season at Union.
…the background to his shirt number: As a football player you always think about which player had the number before you. Lars Bender (twelve years at Bayer 04 and now honorary captain, ed.) had an incredible career at this club. But I'm not putting myself under any massive pressure because of that. The number just fits in with my position in central midfield. I'll try to fill the role as a number eight in my way and hope that I'm as successful as possible.
…the qualities he's brought with him: I believe I can help the team with my mentality – that's what I'm clearly striving for. My aim is to get everybody on board and to be there for my teammates both on and off the pitch.
…his career to date: I always had the target of playing in the Bundesliga. Fortunately I've managed to achieve that by a circuitous route – which did me good in terms of my development. When I heard that Bayer 04 were interested I was really up for it. I've always seen Leverkusen as a likeable club. And Bayer 04 stand for successful attacking football.
…his personal targets with the Werkself: Leverkusen are among the top clubs in the Bundesliga. The target for Bayer 04 must always be to aim for the Champions League spots. And we'll do that this season too. For me, it kicks off with a great game against Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday. 18.30, floodlights – I'm really looking forward to it!
A disciplined defensive performance in the second leg saw Bayer 04 prevail against Olympiacos in the play-offs of the UEFA Champions League 2025/26. Thanks to the 2-0 away win in the first leg, the goalless draw at home at the BayArena was enough to ensure progress to the next round. The Black and Reds kept their opponents away from their goal for the best part of 90 minutes.
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Bayer 04 can go through to the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League for the ninth time tonight, 24 February (kick-off: 21:00 CET) and be in the top 16 clubs in Europe. A good omen: Leverkusen have progressed to the next round after winning the first leg in 20 of their 22 knockout rounds in European competitions to date. For their part, Greek record champions Olympiacos rested several players for last weekend’s league fixture ahead of the play-off second leg at the BayArena and will now do everything in their power to turn the tide with their usual aggressive and high pressing. The discussions on Werkself radio are likely to be just as intense as the battle on the pitch, with commentator Florian Bechholz welcoming honorary captain Stefan Kießling and goalkeeper Mark Flekken. Today’s matchday news.
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With the advantage of the 2-0 first-leg win in the play-offs, the Werkself are looking to book their place in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League at the sold-out BayArena. Ahead of the home game against Olympiacos on Tuesday, 24 February (kick-off: 21:00 CET), coach Kasper Hjulmand and goalkeeper Janis Blaswich spoke about the position ahead of the match, the visitors' strength at set-pieces and a personnel issue for the home side.
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With a win in the Greek Super League last weekend, Olympiacos achieved success on the pitch ahead of the UEFA Champions League play-off second leg at Bayer 04 on Tuesday, 24 February (kick-off: 21:00 CET). Coach José Luis Mendilibar rested many of his regular starters.
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