Bayer 04 end the 2021/22 Bundesliga season in third place following last Saturday’s 2-1 home win against SC Freiburg. The Werkself are second in the form table for the Rückrunde level on points with RB Leipzig in first place who ended their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Arminia Bielefeld. The team led by coach Gerardo Seoane picked up an impressive 36 points in the second half of the season with a goal difference of 40 to 19 – Leipzig (42-15).
That represents an increase of eight points for the Black and Reds in the Hinrunde. Hradecky and Co. were in fourth place with 28 points after matchday 17 with 40 goals scored and 28 conceded. Over the whole season, Bayer 04 were equally effective in attack with the defence more solid in the Rückrunde.
The Sportschau named two Bayer 04 players in their team of matchday 34. Paulinho impressed in the win against Sport Club Freiburg with his “exceptional class.” The ARD TV programme explained the selection as follows: “He again and again showed his pace down the flanks and often cut inside – to pose a threat on goal himself.”
For Exequiel Palacios it was his outstanding stamina. The Argentina international was ahead of all the other players with 12.4 kilometres covered. In addition, the midfield dynamo scored the winner at 2-1 with a long-range effort from the semi-circle.
Germany coach Hansi Flick will announce his squad for the forthcoming international fixtures on Thursday 19 May. First, there is a short training camp in Marbella from 25 to 27 May and that will be followed in July by four games in the UEFA Nations League Hansi Flick.
Bayer 04 defender Jonathan Tah is in with a good chance of being called up. The Germany international with 15 caps was last called up for the last international break at the end of March. The Werkself number four has impressed during the closing stages of the Bundesliga season with consistent performances and he made a decisive contribution to Bayer 04 qualifying for the Champions League.
Mitchell Weiser helped seal the return of Werder Bremen to the Bundesliga on Sunday 15 May. The North German side, out of the top-flight for a year, will be back next season. The 28-year-old defender made 24 appearances in the second division for Werder Bremen scoring two goals and providing two assists. Congratulations on the promotion, Mitch.
Joel Pohjanpalo is currently on loan at top-flight Turkish club Çaykur Rizespor. The relegation of his loan club from the SüperLig was confirmed with a game to play but the Finland international currently shares second place in the top goalscorers’ list with 16 goals. Only Umut Bozok (18) of Kasimpasa SK has scored more.
Nadiem Amiri joined Genoa CFC in Serie A in January 2022. The big Italian club is in a relegation spot on the penultimate matchday of the season. A win next Sunday 22 May against Bologna could take Amiri and Co. out of the drop zone if their rivals lose. The 25-year-old midfielder made twelve appearances in the second half of the season and he has provided two assists to date.
From the 2027/28 season, the Women’s Bundesliga will be organised by an independent league association. Following the unanimous decision taken at the DFB Bundestag (national conference) on Friday afternoon, the league’s separation from the DFB is now official.
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The next home fixture is here: Following the winning start to the UEFA Europa League against NK Celje, the Werkself host RB Leipzig at the BayArena on matchday 4 of the 2026/27 Bundesliga campaign. The match on Sunday, 20 September, kicks off at 15:30 CEST. At the pre-match press conference, head coach Carles Martínez spoke about the qualities of the opposition and the work being done to improve his team’s performance. The Spaniard also provided updates on Ibrahim Maza and Montrell Culbreath.
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Following the Bundesliga clash against RB Leipzig (Sunday, 20 September, 15:30 CEST), some of the Werkself first team players will be heading off for the first international break of the season. Here is an overview of the Bayer 04 players called up for their national teams and all the details of their upcoming matches.
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A special visit to the BayArena: 222 members from volunteer fire brigades in Leverkusen, the Rheinisch-Bergisch district and the Oberbergisch district watched the Werkself’s 2–0 home win over Slovenian champions NK Celje live in the stadium. Bayer 04 had invited them to the 2026/27 Europa League opener as a thank-you for their tremendous dedication. They watched the match together in Block F4.
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