Jonathan Tah also returned on Monday. The 21-year-old, who missed the U21 European Championships due to a groin injury, ended his holidays on Monday. Jonathan started with medical tests before moving on to exercises in the gym. It remains to be seen when the central defender will rejoin his team-mates. Admir Mehmedi and Lars Bender also trained on their own on Monday on their way back from muscle problems.
Sven Bender faces the press
It was the second session with the squad for Lars' twin brother Sven. The new signing from Borussia Dortmund was again on the pitch as he was on Saturday. Before that he faced the press. The 28-year-old again commented on his move: "It was important to me to get back on the pitch. I saw the opportunities being better at Bayer 04 than at BVB." Since his first discussions with the club management, he felt "he was wanted here." He went on to explain: "With my experience and the way I play I can definitely help the club. I want to lead the team. And I'm confident I can do that."
He was also happy to be reunited with his brother who he used to play alongside at TSV 1860 Munich in 2009: "Of course, I'm looking forward to playing with him again. I can't say how that will turn out. We've played too many years at different clubs to predict that."
Friendly in Bonn on Wednesday
The defender, born in Rosenheim, is looking to help the Werkself get back to winning ways. His first impressions of head coach Heiko Herrlich and the team were very positive. "We’ll come together as a team in the pre-season," said our new number five full of conviction. It is possible that Sven might make his debut in a Bayer 04 shirt on Wednesday. The Werkself play the third pre-season friendly away to Regional League side Bonner SC (18.30 CET, Sportpark Nord).
Following the international break, the Bayer 04 women’s team face their next head-to-head clash in the race for a top spot in the Bundesliga. In Saturday’s home match (14:00 CEST), the fourth-placed side host third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. Head coach Roberto Pätzold is well aware of the great opportunity this presents for his team.
Show more
Bayer 04 make their first trip to Poland for over 30 years as they face Lech Poznan on Matchday 2 of the league phase in the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League. The game kicks off at 18:45 CEST on Thursday, but the team will be preparing for the action on Wednesday with training, travel and pre-match press conferences. We’ll bring you all the latest news here…
Show more
Bayer 04 remain unbeaten in the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League. After winning the opener against NK Celje, the Werkself followed that up on Thursday night with a 4–0 win away at the Polish champions Lech Poznan. Patrik Schick, who came on as a substitute early in the game, scored twice from the penalty spot, and Malik Tillman also found the back of the net before half-time. The second half was a more subdued affair, with Ibrahim Maza scoring late on to seal the final 4-0 scoreline.
Show more
Since 2023, Bayer 04 has been organising regular free goalkeeping coach training sessions at the BayArena. As in previous years, the event attracted enormous interest in mid-October 2026. Around 140 participants – mostly goalkeeping coaches from the region, but also team and academy coaches as well as association staff – came to the Werkself stadium to gain expert knowledge on the subject of zonal marking. Through a theoretical keynote presentation and a practical session on the pitch, the participants gained insights into goalkeeping and goalkeeper training at Bayer 04.
Show more
