Heiko Herrlich said it was a “neck and neck” race between Ramazan Özcan and Thorsten Kirschbaum to be in the starting eleven for the opening match of the season. in the end, the head coach opted for the more experienced Austrian who has already played 173 competitive matches in the top two divisions in Germany. “Rambo will play from the start.”
It remains to be seen whether the same will apply to Leon Bailey. The Jamaican did take part as planned in full training today (Tuesday, 14 August). In addition to Bailey, Karim Bellarabi returned just two weeks after suffering a knee injury at the summer training camp. However, Herrlich is very keen to treat the number 38 with kid gloves. “We shouldn’t take the third step before the second. Karim had less problems turning than we thought today.” Herrlich did not reveal whether there was enough progress for a place in the side at Pforzheim.
The Cup tie definitely comes too soon for Charles Aránguiz who is at the moment making good progress in terms of returning to full training. As part of the follow-up, the medical section carried out an MRI scan that confirmed the findings of an ultrasound examination. The Chilean has a problem around his Achilles, which originates from issues with his patella tendon.
According to Herrlich, Aránguiz has recently worked very well with fitness coach Daniel Jouvin but the boss is keen to downplay expectations from the fans. There will have to be day-to-day progress before our number 20 joins his team-mates on the training ground.
While the first team worked hard on the training ground on Tuesday morning and afternoon, there was a lot going on in the mixed zone and the underground car park. This evening, the club has invited its sponsors to the annual season launch event. This year there are a lot of club anniversaries to celebrate. Against the background of 40 years in the Bundesliga, 30 years since winning the UEFA Cup and 25 years since lifting the DFB Cup, the guests plus the team and coaching staff will immerse themselves in the history of Bayer 04.
After back-to-back away defeats, Bayer 04 Women now face their penultimate home fixture of 2026 as they welcome Hamburg to the Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion on Saturday (14:00 CET) seeking three important points in the Google Pixel Bundesliga.
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Several Werkself players are set to represent their national teams during the final international break of 2026. Here’s an overview of who has been called up and what matches they will face in November. This article will be updated regularly.
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Werkself TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04's 0-1 loss against Olympique Marseille on Matchday 4 of the 2026/27 Europa League season...
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After three consecutive wins in the Europa League, the Werkself suffered their first European defeat of the season against Marseille. In a first half with few chances, the Black and Reds gradually gained more and more control of the game, but were unable to convert that advantage into goals. Miguel Gutiérrez came closest to putting Leverkusen ahead with a shot that hit the crossbar. In the second half, the French side produced clinical finishing, with Amine Gouiri scoring from a counter-attack to make it 1-0 (77’). Right up to the final whistle, the Werkself threw everything forward in search of an equaliser, but were unable to find a way back into the game.
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Bayer 04 are riding a wave of success on the European stage: After three wins from their first three games and as the only team yet to concede a goal, the Werkself sit second in the table in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League. With another three points in their first-ever competitive match against Olympique Marseille on Thursday night, 5 November (kick-off: 21:00 CET), Bayer 04 could leap to the top of the table. Meanwhile, the French side are riding the wave of a winning streak in Ligue 1, but are yet to pick up any points in the Europa League. For one Werkself player, Thursday night will mark a reunion with his former team-mates. Today’s matchday news.
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