Lennart Grill has played every game for the former big club from the Palatinate in 2019/20. The shot-stopper, born in Idar-Oberstein, has played for every Germany youth team since first playing at U16 level.
"We've been able to sign a very interesting and highly talented goalkeeper in Lennart Grill," said sporting director Simon Rolfes in commenting on the transfer. "It's a long-term signing and Lennart has great prospects. We are very happy we’ve been able to persuade him to join us," said Rolfes.
The move to Leverkusen is, according to Grill, "a big step forward to a top German team. I've watched a lot of Bayer 04 games up to the season being suspended. As a spectator, it was great fun watching their high tempo, possession football," Grill declared. "Bayer 04 Leverkusen are a club with European ambition and I'm happy to soon be part of it."
There were celebrations among those in black and red at the RheinEnergieSTADION. On Matchday 9 of the 2026/27 Bundesliga season, the Werkself beat 1. FC Köln 2-0 and registered their sixth successive win in the derby. Aleix Garcia put Bayer 04 in front after just seven minutes with a direct free kick. Leverkusen played with discipline and energy after that and didn't allow some fierce challenges to unsettle them. Patrik Schick made it 2-0 in the 86th minute, and Said El Mala's goal in stoppage time for Köln proved nothing more than consolation. Jonas Hofmann crowned the derby win with his 100th appearance for the club.
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Bayer 04 have won each of their last five competitive encounters with 1. FC Köln, and it's around seven years since their last defeat in the cathedral city. That said, the hosts are in strong form at home and will make it anything but easy for the Werkself at the RheinEnergieSTADION on Sunday afternoon (kick-off 15:30 CET). The Matchday News.
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Werkself-TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04 Women's 2-0 win against Hamburger SV on Matchday 9 of the 2026/27 Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga.
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1. FC Köln host Bayer 04 on Sunday 8 November (kick-off 15:30 CET) in the 75th Bundesliga derby between the Rhineland neighbours. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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