The first leg of the play-off is the first meeting of Bayer 04 and AS Monaco in the UEFA Europa League. The previous six matches were in the UEFA Champions League in 1997/98, 2014/15 and 2016/17. The Werkself only won one of the six games against Monaco in Europe's premier club competition (two draws, three defeats) but that was in the last game between the two sides in December 2016 (3-0).
Monaco have won four of their last six league games and most recently beat league leaders Paris St Germain 3-1 but the record against German clubs has not recently favoured AS: The last three matches against German opponents were all lost, most recently the two group matches against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League in 2018/19.
Bayer 04 request everybody to arrive at the BayArena in good time to allow fans to get to their seats in time for kick-off and to avoid long queues at the turnstiles.
Anyone wanting to read key facts about the match against Monaco before the game should take a look at the new Werkself LIVE. The matchday flyer, providing important facts and stats on the clash in compact form, is available at the BayArena. The digital version is also available free of charge online. The flyer this time includes a large poster of Karim Bellarabi. HERE is the e-paper.
Like Bayer 04, with the 3-1 win at TSG Hoffenheim, AS Monaco go into the first leg at the BayArena on the back of a victory at the weekend. Monaco beat league leaders Paris St Germain 3-1 at home in the big match in Ligue 1. Aleksandr Golovin and captain Wissam Ben Yedder put the hosts two up early at the Stade Louis II. And the goal for PSG scored by superstar Neymar failed to put Monaco off course. Ben Yedder restored the two-goal advantage for the far superior home side just before the break. The team from Monaco could have secured an even bigger win if the PSG keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma had not made a number of outstanding saves. Further information on personnel, performers and problems at AS Monaco can be found in the lowdown on our next opponents.
UEFA have appointed Orel Grinfeld as the match referee for the game against Monaco. This will be the first time the 41-year-old Israeli has been in charge of a fixture involving the Werkself. Grinfeld will be assisted by his fellow countrymen Roy Hassan and Idan Yarkoni, and Roi Reinshreiber – also from Israel – is the VAR official.
As usual, Werkself Radio is available for anybody unable to be at tonight'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.
The Golden Boy Top 100 traditionally lists Europe’s most promising young players. In the latest update, published to mark the start of the new season, four current Werkself players – alongside loanee Francis Onyeka – feature on the list. This means Bayer 04 have the most players in contention of any Bundesliga club.
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Goalkeeper Rafaela Borggräfe will continue to play for Bayer 04 Leverkusen next season. The loan of the Germany U23 international, who joined from Liverpool in the winter, has been extended by a further year.
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The Bayer 04 delegation, led by Fernando Carro, CEO, concluded their multi-day trip to Brazil with a visit to the community-based organisation Bola Pra Frente in Rio de Janeiro – founded by former Werkself player Jorginho. During the visit, Bayer 04 committed to extending support for the Bola Pra Frente project for a further five years. In addition, Jorginho, a member of the Brazil 1994 World Cup-winning squad, was named Bayer 04’s second official club legend. With the visit to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, the club has strengthened the relationships built up over the years in one of Bayer 04’s most important international markets.
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Ten years after retiring as a player, Kristina Sundov is returning to the Bayer 04 Women’s team as assistant coach. The 39-year-old former Croatia international takes over from Remzi Kahraman, who has taken up a new challenge abroad. She has been given a contract to 30 June 2028.
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The training pitches at the BayArena are already buzzing with activity again, even before training officially begins next week. On Monday morning, a small group from the Werkself first-team squad completed a session lasting around an hour. Both new and familiar faces were present.
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