This is a joint action of the German Football League (DFL) and the clubs. Head coach Gerardo Seoane spoke about developments in Eastern Europe at the pre-match press conference, clearly affected by the situation: "Of course, it's a subject of discussion in the dressing room for all the players and coaches plus the staff. Seeing images like that is a great shock to all of us. We condemn war in any form and are convinced that everything should be done to get back to the diplomatic path to find a solution without war."
Moreover, Bayer 04 has decided to show our feelings towards the war in Eastern Europe in and around the game. A number of entertainment elements will be dropped and no carnival music will be played. The club asks for your understanding.
Today's match against Arminia Bielefeld will be refereed by Martin Petersen. The 36-year-old was in charge of his first game in the Bundesliga in 2017. With the estate agent in charge, the Werkself have a record in the Bundesliga of one win, one draw and one defeat. The most recent Leverkusen match under Petersen was on 13 December 2020 and that ended in a 4-1 home win against TSG Hoffenheim.
The match official from Stuttgart will be assisted by Alexander Sather and Robert Kempter, Felix Zwayer is the VAR referee. Have a good game.
Werkself LIVE gives Black and Red fans the chance to get the most important information on the current matchday ahead of the kick-off against the team lying fourteenth in the table. The programme is available at the BayArena – alternatively it is also online. This season's new Bayer 04 matchday magazine provides interesting facts and stats on the game between the Werkself and the team from East Westphalia. On the back there is a poster of Paulinho. Click HERE for the e-paper.
Alternative Werkself Radio: As Niko Hartmann and Cedric Pick are unable to report on the match between the Werkself and Bielefeld at the BayArena due to illness, reporters from the Bayer 04 radio service for the visually impaired will commentate on the full 90 minutes. 22 years ago, Bayer 04 were pioneers in the Bundesliga and since then live reporting for all visually impaired Bayer 04 fans has been an essential part of every matchday.
Sandwiched between their UEFA Champions League knockout play-off tie against Olympiacos, Bayer 04 return to Bundesliga action on Saturday with a trip to Union Berlin (kick-off: 15:30 CET). It’s a fixture of contrasting styles, with Leverkusen preferring to control the play while Union look to remain compact and counter. The Berliners are therefore suited to facing top teams, but they have only ever managed to win one of 16 meetings with the Werkself, who are looking for a fifth clean sheet of 2026 but will need to beware the home side’s threat from set pieces. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game in our matchday news.
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After six wins in seven games, the Werkself will be looking to continue their winning run in the capital at FC Union Berlin. Coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke ahead of the match on Saturday, 21 February (kick-off: 15:30 CET) about defenders, the short preparation time and the condition of the pitch at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei.
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Union Berlin have performed particularly well against the top clubs in the Bundesliga this season with a draw at home to Bayern Munich and wins against VfB Stuttgart and RB Leipzig. This Saturday, 21 February (kick-off: 15:30 CET), the Irons now welcome the Werkself, currently sixth in the table, to the Stadion An der Alten Försterei. And the hosts are in desperate need of a win. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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It took exactly 60 minutes for the Werkself to take the lead through a perfectly finished counter-attack by Patrik Schick in the first leg of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League play-off at Olympiacos. Referring to the meeting in the league phase and the initially squandered opportunities, coach Kasper Hjulmand said afterwards: "I thought: 'Oh no, déjà-vu.'" But after the opening goal, it took just 144 seconds for the Czech to spark more wild celebrations among those in black and red in the Greek cauldron, when Schick nodded in Alejandro Grimaldo's corner. Much to the delight of the Bayer 04 fans, his teammates and his coach, who had warm words for the striker in the aftermath. The Werkself Review.
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