From Kurtekotten via the BayArena to the national side: "It's great for me that the club I've been at since I was 13 years old has given me all these opportunities," said Henrichs who started playing for the Werkself in the U8 team. "I'm very happy I've made it as a professional and an international at Bayer 04. At Leverkusen I’ve always been shown so much confidence, encouraged and developed. Now, after a difficult season, I want to help the club to get back to the level that Bayer 04 stands for."
In that respect, sporting director Rudi Völler sees the contract extension as a special sign. "Benny has developed an outstanding quality over the last year and a half and that has made him attractive to big clubs in Europe," declared Völler. "That made it even more important for us to keep in here for the long term. Benny is not just a top player but also a role model at Leverkusen. He's played for Bayer since he was a kid and he will be one of the players to help form a promising and effective team again.
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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