After the results on the last matchday, the Werkself can no longer be caught by their rivals from Frankfurt and Freiburg and are therefore guaranteed to finish at least sixth in the Bundesliga and compete in the Europa League. The focus is now exclusively upwards and therefore on TSG Hoffenheim and VfB Stuttgart. Both clubs currently have a two-point lead, and they face each other on Saturday afternoon.
A draw in this head-to-head clash would see the Werkself leap into fourth place if they beat RB Leipzig at home in the top match on Saturday night. From then on, Bayer 04 would have everything in their own hands. If either Hoffenheim or Stuttgart win like Leverkusen, the Black and Reds would finish fifth behind the winner of this clash. In the end, this could also entitle them to participate in the Champions League (see below).
Bayer 04:
TSG Hoffenheim:
VfB Stuttgart:
Whether four or five Bundesliga clubs will compete in the Champions League next season depends on the performance of the participants in this year's UEFA competitions. The overview is provided by the UEFA rankings, also known as the UEFA coefficient. In the end, only the two best associations in the ranking will receive an additional fifth Champions League starting place in the coming season.
England have an unassailable lead, while Portugal, in fourth place, have little chance of finishing second in the UEFA rankings. This means that Spain and Germany are currently in a tight race for second place.
UEFA ranking (as at 1 May):
The points average of the UEFA participants from the respective association is ultimately decisive for the ranking. As the Bundesliga had one less starter than Spain's La Liga this season, positive results for the remaining German participants (Bayern Munich and SC Freiburg) carry more weight than those of the remaining Spanish representatives Atlético Madrid and Rayo Vallecano. To summarise, the two German clubs must be more successful in the knockout matches (semi-finals and final) than their Spanish rivals.
Atlético Madrid face Arsenal in the Champions League, while Rayo Vallecano take on Racing Strasbourg in the Conference League. Bayern Munich face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and SC Freiburg take on Sporting Braga in the Europa League.
Nine points are still up for grabs for the Werkself, and the position in the season run-in is more than exciting. The two home games against RB Leipzig (Saturday, 2 May, 18:30 CEST) and Hamburger SV (Saturday, 16 May, 15:30 CEST) are sold out. An important appeal to Bayer 04 fans: If you are unable to use your season card or match tickets for these games, please put them on the official Bayer 04 ticket exchange. The demand for tickets for these games is very high.
More than 3,000 away tickets have already been sold for the last away game of the season in Stuttgart (Saturday, 9 May, 15:30 CEST). Anyone who does not yet have a ticket and is a Bayer 04 Club member or season card holder can register HERE to secure tickets.
For the run-in, Nordkurve12 has once again called for ‘Finally Red’ at the Werkself's last three games. Let's go for the season finale - all in red, all together!
This special event showed once again how strong Bayer 04 are as a team: As part of ‘BarmeniaGothaer gives joy’, the Werkself players Edmond Tapsoba, Ibrahim Maza and Christian Kofane supported the sale of individually designed T-shirts for a good cause at the Fanwelt on Thursday. Several hundred fans came to take part in the charity campaign. Leverkusen's main sponsor BarmeniaGothaer donated the proceeds to the Fondation Edmond Tapsoba, which helps people in Tapsoba's home country of Burkina Faso in their challenging everyday lives.
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With three games to play before the end of the season, the Bayer 04 Women can break one record and equal another at SGS Essen. After three wins on the bounce, coach Roberto Pätzold's team are aiming to maintain the chance of third place in Sunday’s away game (14:00 CEST, Stadion an der Hafenstraße).
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From Ouagadougou to Leverkusen – and back: in March, Bayer 04 travelled with Edmond Tapsoba for a special project in his homeland Burkina Faso. The country where his roots and heart lie. The country where he’s more than a world-class defender: a symbol of hope and a role model for an entire generation. The result is a 45-minute documentary about Tapsoba’s long journey from Africa via Portugal to Leverkusen, which offers extraordinary, one-off and emotional insights.
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Edmond Tapsoba has signed an early extension to his contract with Bayer 04 Leverkusen. With two years left on his current deal, the 27-year-old Burkina Faso international has extended his contract until 30 June 2031. The centre-back joined as a young talent from Portuguese top-flight club Vitoria Guimaraes at the start of 2020.
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A special surprise: during the preview for the 'Fierté Burkinabè' documentary about Edmond Tapsoba, Bayer 04 directors Fernando Carro and Simon Rolfes announced Tapsoba's contract extension until 2031 together with the centre-back. He then spoke to Werkself-TV about his time in Leverkusen so far and future ambitions...
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