
International breaks always give the Werkself the chance for a friendly: That was the case last week with the match against VfL Bochum and it will be the same again during the next international break. The break between Bundesliga matchdays seven and eight will see Bayer 04 face third division neighbours SC Fortuna Köln on Thursday 5 October. The match at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium kicks off at 15.00 CET and entrance is free. The stadium opens one hour before kick-off.
The team coached by Uwe Koschinat are enjoying an excellent start to the campaign in Germany's third tier and they are currently in third place after six league games. At the same time, Fortuna and league leaders Paderborn are the only unbeaten teams in the third division with the Cologne side winning four times and drawing twice to date. Bayer 04 and Fortuna Köln met in a friendly last November with the Werkself winning 1-0 thanks to a goal from Kai Havertz.


After a run of seven games unbeaten in all competitions, the Werkself suffered a 1-0 defeat at FC Union Berlin despite their best efforts. Captain Robert Andrich, who took responsibility for the goal, said after the match: "Now we have to focus on not losing our heads even in difficult situations. That has always made us strong in the past." The Werkself review.
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Bayer 04 were beaten 1-0 away at Union Berlin on Matchday 23 in the Bundesliga. Kasper Hjulmand’s side struggled to create clear chances, while the hosts struck the only goal of the game through Rani Khedira in the 28th minute.
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Sandwiched between their UEFA Champions League knockout play-off tie against Olympiacos, Bayer 04 return to Bundesliga action on Saturday with a trip to Union Berlin (kick-off: 15:30 CET). It’s a fixture of contrasting styles, with Leverkusen preferring to control the play while Union look to remain compact and counter. The Berliners are therefore suited to facing top teams, but they have only ever managed to win one of 16 meetings with the Werkself, who are looking for a fifth clean sheet of 2026 but will need to beware the home side’s threat from set pieces. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game in our matchday news.
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After six wins in seven games, the Werkself will be looking to continue their winning run in the capital at FC Union Berlin. Coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke ahead of the match on Saturday, 21 February (kick-off: 15:30 CET) about defenders, the short preparation time and the condition of the pitch at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei.
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