Leon Bailey can play for the Black and Reds against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday (21.00 CET) but he will not appear in the Bundesliga in the immediate future: The sports tribunal of the German Football Association (DFB) has imposed a two-match ban plus a fine of €12,000. Bailey was sent off at the end of the game against Borussia Mönchengladbach after the referee Daniel Siebert adjudged the 23-year-old was guilty of violent conduct against opponent Patrick Herrmann. Bayer 04 and the player have accepted the verdict and it is now final.
Let's move on to better news: 6 November, the day of the game against Atletico, could bring the necessary modicum of luck for the as yet pointless Leverkusen side in the Champions League: The Werkself have not lost on that day (four wins, two draws). And the team captain Lars Bender already has positive experience of this date: The 30-year-old scored his first competitive goal for the Black and Reds in a 4-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt on 6 November 2009. Moreover, none of the last five European games in November have ended in defeat (two wins, three draws) – hopefully that will continue!
Not just the date, but also the country of origin of the opponent, could play into the Werkself hands on Wednesday: In all twelve Champions League home games against Spanish clubs, Bayer 04 have always been on target with at least one goal per game (21 in total). If the Black and Reds beat Atletico then the exit from the Champions League will be avoided for the time being – regardless of the outcome of the other group match between Lokomotiv Moscow and Juventus (kick-off: 18.55 CET).
From today, action returns to the virtual pitch in terms of the search for wins and points: The first matches of the new season start at 18.00 CET. 22 teams are taking part this term including 11 first and 11 second division teams. Bayer 04 go into action on Thursday at 18.00 CET. Fabian ‘B04_Dubzje’ de Cae and new signing Kai ‘Deto’ Wollin face Arminia Bielefeld. At the end of the season, the six best teams will play for the title in the play-offs and an equal number of teams will be relegated.
There was also good news off the pitch: A total of €1,069 has been raised from the auction of three special shirts worn by Werkself pros Sven Bender, Nadiem Amiri and Panos Retsos. The considerable sum raised from the shirts worn in the Leipzig game will go to the Bayer 04 Sportförderung gGmbH for technical improvements in the delivery of match commentaries for the visually impaired. Other shirt events organised by fan liaison will follow shortly. Hats off!
Finally, we take a trip into the past with a Werkself legend: Bayer 04 honorary captain Rüdiger Vollborn – a player at Bayer 04 from 1981 to 2000 – will take listeners on a "journey through the history of our Werkself," that the goalkeeping legend will lead for the fourth time. On Wednesday 30 November, the 56-year-old will be at the 19nullvier Lounge at the BayArena to share exciting experiences from nearly 40 years at Leverkusen. It all kicks off at 19.04 CET and anyone interested in the two 60-minute lectures can apply by email to ruediger.vollborn@bayer04.de.
A special visit to the BayArena: 222 members from volunteer fire brigades in Leverkusen, the Rheinisch-Bergisch district and the Oberbergisch district watched the Werkself’s 2–0 home win over Slovenian champions NK Celje live in the stadium. Bayer 04 had invited them to the 2026/27 Europa League opener as a thank-you for their tremendous dedication. They watched the match together in Block F4.
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The Bayer 04 U19s have extended their winning run with a fifth consecutive victory on Matchday 5 of the DFB Youth League’s preliminary round. Coach Patrick Greveraars’ side secured a 3–2 (2–1) win in their match against second-placed FC Viktoria Köln, with Burak Kir and Nebe Domnic scoring for the hosts in the first half before captain Ben Hawighorst found the net after the break.
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Bayer 04 will have to manage without defender Guéla Doué for the time being. The Ivory Coast international sustained a muscle injury to his right calf during the final Werkself training session yesterday ahead of the Europa League clash with Slovenian champions NK Celje.
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For the first time since reaching the final against AS Roma (2–2, first leg 2–0) in May 2024, Bayer 04 are playing another home match in the UEFA Europa League – and they will be wearing their new European kit. On Wednesday 16 September (kick-off: 21:00 CEST), the BayArena will welcome Slovenian champions NK Celje, who appointed a new coach this week following a mixed start to the season. Under the slogan “40 Years Across Europe. Still Creating History.”, the Black and Reds now aim to add the next chapter to their European history, which has seen so much success in recent years. Bayer 04 fans can follow the match on free-to-air TV on RTL, as well as on Sky and Werkself Radio. The matchday news.
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European football returns to the BayArena: Bayer 04 host Slovenian champions NK Celje on matchday 1 in the group stage of the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League. Ahead of the match on Wednesday 16 September (kick-off: 21:00 CEST), head coach Carles Martínez and midfielder Aleix Garcia spoke at the pre-match press conference. The focus was primarily on the great anticipation surrounding the competition and the clear objectives for it – and, given the circumstances, on a last-minute change to the opposition line-up.
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