Ferencváros have lost two out of three games against Bayer 04 in the Europa League. However, they did win the last home game 1-0 in December 2021 - the Werkself were already confirmed as group winners at that point.
Another interesting fact demonstrates the goal threat from the Bayer 04 players. Of all the clubs who have taken part in the last three Europa League campaigns (since 2020/21), Bayer 04 have the highest average number of goals per game over that period (2.5).
While the Ferencváros full-back Endre Botka is currently serving a one-match ban, the same fate is hanging over several Bayer 04 players if progress is made to the quarter-finals: Odilon Kossounou, Mitchel Bakker, Kerem Demirbay and Florian Wirtz could be suspended for the first leg of the quarter-final tie if they pick up another yellow card in the match against Ferencváros.
Ferencváros lost 2-1 on Sunday night at home to fifth-placed Puskas Akademia in the OTP Bank Liga. It was the first defeat in front of their owns this season. Coach Stanislav Cherchesov made six changes to the side that started in the 2-0 defeat in Leverkusen as he rested a number regular starters. More information on the club from Budapest can be found in our lowdown on the next opponents.
UEFA has appointed Artur Dias to referee the match in Budapest. This will be the second time the 43-year-old has been in charge of a game involving the Werkself. The Portuguese match official refereed the Champions League group match at Atlético Madrid in October 2019 (0-1). Dias’ assistant referees at the Puskas Arena are his fellow countrymen Paulo Soares and Pedro Ribeiro with Tiago Martins, also from Portugal, in action as the VAR official.
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 Cedric Pick and Niko Hartmann. In addition, the live text update service will keep you up-to-date to ensure you don't miss anything in the game. Both Werkself Radio and the live text updates can be found at bayer04.de and on the Bayer 04 app – tune in.
Less than a year ago, Kerim Alajbegovic moved from the Bayer 04 U19s to Austrian top-flight club FC Red Bull Salzburg. The forward’s development since then has been impressive. In 36 matches, including in the UEFA Europa League, the 18-year-old has scored 14 goals. In the summer, Alajbegovic, now a Bosnia international, will return to Leverkusen - and thus not only achieve the next milestone still early in his career, but also enrich the Werkself squad with his footballing versatility and determination.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended the contract with forward Nathan Tella ahead of schedule. The versatile 26-year-old, who can be deployed as a right winger, false nine or left winger, has penned a new contract to 30 June 2031. Tella joined the Werkself from Championship club Southampton in 2023. His previous contract ran to the summer of 2028.
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Nathan Tella has extended his contract with Bayer 04 to 2031. In an interview with Werkself TV, the 26-year-old talks about fulfilling his dreams, his positive outlook on life and his goals for the future. He answers the questions in English - all except the last one, which he addresses directly to the fans...
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In the final international break in the current 2025/26 campaign, Bayer 04 striker Patrik Schick with Czechia will be battling for a place at the World Cup. Meanwhile, national teams that have already qualified, include other Werkself players called up, are involved in friendlies in the build-up to the World Cup. Read on for an overview of the Leverkusen internationals and their match dates.
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The Werkself kicked off the final international break of the current season on Monday morning with the first of three open training sessions this week. While eleven Bayer 04 players will be away on international duty in the coming days, the other players will be working together in Leverkusen. The next challenge in the Bundesliga awaits on Saturday, 4 April (kick-off: 15:30 CEST) with the home game against VfL Wolfsburg.
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