UEFA have appointed François Letexier as the match referee. The 32-year-old has already been in charge of three fixtures in the Champions League and one in the Europa League this term. The Frenchman has also previously refereed a match involving the Werkself: the 5-1 win away to the top Cypriot club AEK Larnaca in December 2018. Lucas Alario scored twice on the night and Paulinho also found the back of the net. The other two goals were scored by the Bayer 04 home-grown player Dominik Kohr (now at Mainz 05).
Letexier will be assisted at the BayArena by his fellow countrymen Mehdi Rahmouni and Jeremie Pignard. Have a good game.
The Werkself will tonight wear black armbands in honour of the long-standing DFB president Egidius Braun. The Rhinelander passed away on Wednesday night at the age of 97. Braun was president of the German Football Association from 1992 to 2001 and went on to be its honorary president. Rudi Völler, sporting managing director at Bayer 04: "Egidius Braun will never be forgotten as a person and also based on his social affairs commitments. My deep condolences to his family and friends."
The Eintracht Frankfurt team will also remember the long-standing football official at tonight's Round of 16 second leg match against Real Betis with the Eintracht players also wearing black armbands.
Black and Red fans can also catch catch up with important information on the match ahead of kick-off in the Europa League game against Atalanta with the help of Werkself LIVE. The matchday programme can be obtained at the BayArena – alternatively it is available free of charge online. This season's new Bayer 04 programme provides interesting facts and stats on the meeting with the North Italian club. On the back there is a poster of Edmond Tapsoba. HERE is the e-paper.
The North Italian team took up their base in Cologne on Wednesday and this morning players under coach Gian Piero Gasperini used the Sportpark Höhenberg for a warm-up session. The home ground of the third division team SC Viktoria Köln provided the stage for light training and the squad returned to the team hotel at 11.00 CET.
Based on the current coronavirus protection order from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, 22,658 fans may currently attend matches at the BayArena, with no standing permitted. Spectators must wear – including at their own seats – a medical grade face covering. The 2G plus rule also applies. Further information is available in the FAQs on home games.
The Werkself have initiated the most vertical attacks (28) of all teams in the current Europa League campaign and scored the most goals as a result (5) – one of them in the first leg against Atalanta. More of the same please!
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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The Bayer 04 U19s have extended their winning run with a fifth consecutive victory on Matchday 5 of the DFB Youth League’s preliminary round. Coach Patrick Greveraars’ side secured a 3–2 (2–1) win in their match against second-placed FC Viktoria Köln, with Burak Kir and Nebe Domnic scoring for the hosts in the first half before captain Ben Hawighorst found the net after the break.
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Bayer 04 will have to manage without defender Guéla Doué for the time being. The Ivory Coast international sustained a muscle injury to his right calf during the final Werkself training session yesterday ahead of the Europa League clash with Slovenian champions NK Celje.
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For the first time since reaching the final against AS Roma (2–2, first leg 2–0) in May 2024, Bayer 04 are playing another home match in the UEFA Europa League – and they will be wearing their new European kit. On Wednesday 16 September (kick-off: 21:00 CEST), the BayArena will welcome Slovenian champions NK Celje, who appointed a new coach this week following a mixed start to the season. Under the slogan “40 Years Across Europe. Still Creating History.”, the Black and Reds now aim to add the next chapter to their European history, which has seen so much success in recent years. Bayer 04 fans can follow the match on free-to-air TV on RTL, as well as on Sky and Werkself Radio. The matchday news.
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European football returns to the BayArena: Bayer 04 host Slovenian champions NK Celje on matchday 1 in the group stage of the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League. Ahead of the match on Wednesday 16 September (kick-off: 21:00 CEST), head coach Carles Martínez and midfielder Aleix Garcia spoke at the pre-match press conference. The focus was primarily on the great anticipation surrounding the competition and the clear objectives for it – and, given the circumstances, on a last-minute change to the opposition line-up.
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