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.
Werkself-TV shows the highlights of the Bayer 04 women's 1-3 loss against Werder Bremen on the 26th matchday of the Google Pixel Frauen-Bundesliga 2025/26.
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Bayer 04 Women have finished in fifth place after the best Bundesliga season in the club's history in terms of points. Roberto Pätzold's side went down 3-1 at home to SV Werder Bremen on the final matchday. With 46 points and 15 wins, they've bettered the previous record campaign of 2024/25. Despite periods of pressure, Cornelia Kramer's 73rd-minute strike was not enough at the Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion, and the Werkself miss out on European qualification despite a strong end to the season.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have agreed a conract extension with home-grown talent Sofie Zdebel by a further year ahead of schedule. The 21-year-old Germany U23 international will stay at the club until 30 June 2028.
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After the final whistle in the home match against Hamburger SV, it showed once again that the Bayer 04 community sticks together. The team thanked the fans for their great support in a season with highs and lows and a sixth-place finish in the Bundesliga. The Black and Reds will compete in the UEFA Europa League next season. The last Werkself review in 2025/26 has all the analysis.
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Bayer 04 could only manage a 1-1 draw at home to Hamburg in the final game of the 2025/26 Bundesliga season as they finish in sixth place and qualify for the UEFA Europa League. Patrik Schick missed a first-half penalty before Fabio Vieira put the visitors ahead on the hour. Jarell Quansah’s deflected header in the 79th minute earned a point to finish the campaign.
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