
Goalkeeper Bernd Leno and Julian Brandt have been called up by Joachim Löw for the next step towards qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The Germany team are runaway leaders in Group C with eight wins from eight games and they just need one point from Thursday night's (20.45 CET) away game in Belfast against closest rivals Northern Ireland to secure qualification. The final group match is on Sunday 8 October against Azerbaijan in Kaiserslautern.
Benjamin Henrichs and Jonathan Tah, who have often been in Löw's squad, are set to play for the Germany U21s this week. The team coached by Stefan Kuntz have European Championship qualifiers against Azerbaijan (Friday, 6 October 19.00 CET) and away to Norway (Tuesday, 10 October 19.00 CET) , Following on from the 1-0 victory over Kosovo on the first matchday. Another player for Germany is Kai Havertz with the U19 side playing three European Championship qualifiers in Poland: against Belarus (Wednesday, 4 October, 12.00 CET), Northern Ireland (Saturday, 7 October, 12.00 CET and the hosts Poland (Tuesday, 10 October, 18.00 CET). Havertz is joined in the squad by Bayer 04 U19 players Sam Schreck and Atakan Akkaynak.
Switzerland are also in with a fantastic chance of playing in the FIFA tournament in Russia in 2018. Admir Mehmedi and his team-mates have performed impressively in Group B and, like Germany, have a maximum return of 24 points from their eight games. The Swiss round off their campaign against Hungary (Saturday, seven October) and in a top of the group clash with the European Champions Portugal (Tuesday, 10 October) on three less points. The winners of the nine qualifying groups go through and the eight best runners-up play off for four places at the World Cup.
The situation In Group D is not looking good for Julian Baumgartlinger and Austria as they are five points adrift. The final two matches see Austria take on group leaders Serbia (Friday, 6 October) and bottom of the group Moldova (Monday, 9 October). Finland and Joel Pohjanpalo already have no chance of qualifying in Group I. The final opponents for Finland are Croatia (Friday, 6 October) and Turkey (Monday, 9 October). Greece are still in with a chance of finishing runners-up in Group H. The team coached by Michael Skibbe including Panos Retsos, who recently celebrated his debut, need two wins against Cyprus (Saturday, 7 October) and Gibraltar (Tuesday, 10 October).
Charles Aránguiz can only cross his fingers for Chile from afar following the calf injury he sustained against Schalke on Friday. 'La Rocha' are in danger of missing out in the South American World Cup qualifying group: The team are currently in sixth place and they need to overtake either Argentina or Peru. Only the first four teams qualify directly and the country in fifth place team plays off against the Oceania representatives. Chile are at home first against Ecuador (Friday, 6 October) and then are away to the group winners Brazil (Wednesday, 11 October).

Werkself-TV shows the highlights of the Bayer 04 women's 2-1 at TSG Hoffenheim on the 3rd matchday of the Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga 2026/27.
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Starting with the 2026/27 season, Bayer 04 has created a permanent memorial space at the BayArena. In the upper section of Block A in the southeast corner of the stadium, Werkself fans can honour friends and family members with whom they have shared many special moments connected to Bayer 04. In the coming months, this space will be gradually expanded, in particular with the active support of the fans.
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Bayer 04 has secured a new premium partner in DXC Technology, a leading provider of enterprise technology and innovation. The club has agreed a partnership with DXC running until 30 June 2028. At the heart of the partnership is DXC’s role as an AI integration partner. The company is integrating Bayer 04’s previously separate digital systems into a unified fan journey that begins long before matchday and extends well beyond the stadium visit. As a partner of the women’s team and main sponsor of #B04eSports, DXC will be supporting two promising sections of the club during this period. DXC will also gain significant visibility as the sleeve partner of the women’s team in the DFB Pokal.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have secured a new premium partner in the form of DRIVIO. DRIVIO, already part of the club’s partner portfolio as a reliable car subscription partner for Bayer 04, will continue to support the club in this capacity and, with immediate effect, also join the premium group of companies that cooperate closely with the Werkself. The premium and car subscription partnership between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and DRIVIO will initially run until 30 June 2027.
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“Welcome home” was the message from a visually emotional fan in the direction of Moussa Diaby after Wednesday’s open training session. The French winger had just appeared on the BayArena training ground for the first time in three years following his return to Bayer 04. And before he took time for selfies and autographs, Diaby spoke to the media. Fellow new arrival Guéla Doué was also in action but not with the team for now.
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