News in brief ahead of #BOCB04: Crucial milestone match

special edition shirt

Historic milestone: The Werkself not only play the final game of the 2022/23 season today but it also Bundesliga match 1,500 for Bayer 04. To mark this event, the Werkself will run out in a special edition of the current home shirt that is available to buy now. Exclusive sale to members started yesterday Friday 26 May. Further information on the special edition shirt can be found HERE.

#BOCB04 - match facts

The last time the Werkself lost in Bochum was in a 2-0 defeat in March 2008 and the following seven away games at VfL have resulted in three wins and four draws.

In addition, Bochum have not won on the final matchday in the last four Bundesliga seasons (one draw, three defeats) – of the current Bundesliga clubs only Hertha Berlin have a longer negative run on the final matchday (nine). The Werkself have won ten of their last twelve games on the final day of the season (two defeats).

focus on VFL 

Joy and frustration were 24 hours apart for VfL Bochum last weekend. The late equaliser from Keven Schlotterbeck away to Hertha Berlin on Saturday afternoon ensured huge euphoria amongst the 12,000 travelling Bochum fans. The goal in the fourth minute of added time saw VfL retain fifteenth place enabling them to maintain the lead over Schalke who levelled late in the game in a 2-2 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt. Seventeenth-placed VfB Stuttgart needed to drop points in their Sunday match away to Mainz 05 for the situation on the final matchday to be more comfortable. For updates on the outcome of the clash with the Swabians and how it looks for the personnel at VfL Bochum check out lowdown on our next opponents.

Welz is the ref

The German Football Association (DFB) has appointed Tobias Welz as the referee for the match against VfL Bochum. The 45-year-old has previously been in charge of 17 games involving the Werkself (five wins, four draws, eight defeats). His assistants are Robert Kempter and Jonas Weickenmeier with Benjamin Brand in action as the VAR official.

WERKSELF RADIO AND LIVE text

As usual, Werkself Radio is available for anybody unable to be at today's game. The audio broadcast begins 30 minutes before kick-off with commentary provided by Niko Hartmann. In addition, the live text update service will keep you up-to-date to ensure you don't miss any of the key match action. Both Werkself Radio and the live text update service are available at bayer04.de and on the Bayer 04 app – just log on.