"This week we all want to get back on track together and make sure we're 100% fit. And next week we'll focus on the game against Bayern." Heiko Herrlich has laid down the approach for the Werkself in the short phase before the restart of the Bundesliga with the cracker of a fixture against the league leaders from Munich on Friday 12 January. There are two friendlies in addition to the sessions at the training ground at the BayArena. The first is on Friday (14.00 CET, Haberland Stadium) against second division SpVgg Greuther Fürth followed by the match against third division Preußen Münster on Saturday (14.00 CEt, Haberland Stadium). And there is a special service for all Bayer 04 fans unable to be at the games: Both matches will be broadcast live on bayer04.de and Facebook.
Heiko Herrlich has already announced he wants to give all his players match practice in the two friendlies as far as is possible. "I will pick two different teams. Ideally, all players will get 90 minutes on the pitch," said the Werkself coach. Following the return of Wendell and Lucas Alario on Wednesday, with both completing full training, Charles Aránguiz and Leon Bailey have also returned from their winter breaks. Benny Henrichs, who suffered a bruised foot in the DFB Cup game at Borussia Mönchengladbach, was only able to complete an individual training session and is unlikely to feature in the friendlies. "We don't want to take any risks with him and we'll take it day by day," declared Herrlich.
Friday's match against Fürth brings a reunion with Roberto Hilbert. The 33 year-old stalwart and right back played 58 Bundesliga games for Bayer 04 from 2013 to 2017 before moving on to the Bavarian club in the summer. In addition to Hilbert, there are two other men at the club, currently next to bottom in the second division, who used to be at Leverkusen: The winger Khaled Narey (23) came through the youth ranks at Bayer 04, and Fürth's head coach Damir Buric was assistant to Robin Dutt at the Werkself in 2011/12. The 53-year-old Croat (pictured above with Stefan Kießling) took over in September after Janos Radoki was dismissed.
Also in danger of relegation – albeit in a tier below in the third division –are Preußen Münster, third bottom in the table at the winter break. The former giants from East Westphalia parted company with coach Benno Möhlmann two weeks before Christmas with Marco Antwerpen taking charge (formerly at Viktoria Köln). The club won their major honours over 50 years ago: In 1951 Preußen reached the German Championship final, and they were founder members of the Bundesliga in 1963. A nice footnote: The club made their Bundesliga debut in front of 38,000 fans at a sold-out Preußen Stadium against Hamburg SV (1-1) – the first capacity crowd in the history of the Bundesliga was at Münster. Back then, the Preußen team included Manfred Rummel, who passed away last year, and he was the coach who took the Werkself to the second division in 1975. Münster and Bayer 04 were rivals in the Second Division North from 1975 to 1979.
The Norway U23 international Julie Jorde has completed the move from Bayer 04 Leverkusen to Brøndby IF. The twelve-time champions of Denmark have signed the midfielder on permanent terms after her loan move from the Bundesliga to Denmark in the winter.
Show moreBayer 04 Leverkusen have signed the Senegalese central defender Abdoulaye Faye. The 20-year-old joins the Bundesliga side from Swedish top-flight club BK Häcken. Faye has penned a contract at Leverkusen to 30 June 2030.
Show moreThe German Football League (DFL) has published the fixture list for the 2025/26 Bundesliga campaign. Bayer 04 start the new season with a home game against TSG Hoffenheim. The first away game for the Werkself is at Werder Bremen. The final Bundesliga fixture is on 16 May 2026 against newly promoted Hamburg SV with a 15:30 CEST kick-off at the BayArena.
Show moreBayer 04 Leverkusen have given offensive player Paulina Bartz a long-term contract. The 20-year-old has penned a new deal to 30 June 2027.
Show moreGermany international Florian Wirtz has been voted Bayer 04 ‘Player of the Season’ for the second time in a row. The 21-year-old, who will play for Premier League champions Liverpool next season, received more than half of all votes cast in the annual poll organised by Bayer 04.
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