The German Football Association (DFB) has appointed Robert Schröder as the match referee for the home game against Union Berlin. The 37-year-old has previously been in charge of two matches involving the Werkself with the Black and Reds winning both. Schröder will be assisted by Dr. Jan Neitzel-Petersen and Stefan Lupp on the touchlines and Günter Perl is the VAR official. Have a good game.
The Berlin team have only won one of their nine games against the Werkself (three draws, five defeats). After the Irons lost all of their first five meetings they have been unbeaten in the last four (one win, three draws). The one victory came in January of last year with a 1-0 home win for Union. The team from Köpenick have yet to win a game at the BayArena. The Berliners have picked up three defeats and two draws away to the Werkself – the Irons have not played any other current Bundesliga team more often away without winning (also five times at Dortmund and Augsburg).
The performances of the Berliners have again been outstanding this season in the league, the DFB Cup and on the European stage. The Fischer team were top of the Bundesliga after seven matchdays. As Bayern Munich beat Hertha Berlin 4-2 yesterday, the record champions are back in top spot for the first time since matchday four – for the time being. The Irons could go top again with a win against the Werkself today.
They are currently the main challengers to Bayern after only being promoted to the Bundesliga three years ago – for the first time in the club's history. Union Berlin have broken record after record in every season – the eight wins for Union Berlin in the Bundesliga is already the record in a Hinrunde. They have improved season after season since arriving in Germany's top flight: They finished eleventh in their first season, the infamous second season did not bring relegation but rather qualification for European football in the newly introduced UEFA Conference League. The Irons went one better last term by qualifying for the UEFA Europa League where they finished second in their group last week to qualify for the knockout round play-offs. Further information can be found in our lowdown on the next opponents.
Anyone wanting key information ahead of the game between the Alonso team and the Fischer eleven should take a look at the new Werkself LIVE. The matchday programme including key stats and facts on the clash with the club from the capital is available at the BayArena. It is also available free of charge online HERE .
As usual, the Werkself Radio will be covering the match against the team from Köpenick. The audio broadcast starts 30 minutes before kick-off with Cedric Pick and Niko Hartmann providing the commentary. The live text service also provides up-to-date information to ensure you don't miss any of the action. Both Werkself Radio and the live text service are available at bayer04.de and on the Bayer 04 app.
Bundesliga matchday 13 against Union Berlin is special: On the 25th Anniversary of the DFB launching their volunteering day of action in 1997, Bayer 04 says thank you to our many volunteers. Since 2007/08 the tireless volunteers have helped ensure the smooth operation at home games and an enjoyable visit for all friends of Bayer 04. The volunteers also get something in return: With the exception of the first and last five minutes of a match they can watch the game live, get something to eat and drink in the stadium and have the chance to look back at the game after the final whistle in the volunteers room. They also have a full uniform from the official supplier and there are regular events such as the Christmas party or volunteers away trips. Anyone interested in volunteering at the Werkself can find further information HERE.
There are ongoing issues with travelling to and from the game on public transport due to the suspension of the S-Bahn service in and around Leverkusen-Mitte station. Further up-to-date information can be found on the websites of the Deutsche Bahn and wupsi.
The former Werkself player André Schürrle is 32 today. Schürrle joined Bayer 04 from Mainz 05 in 2011 and he moved to England in 2013 when he signed for Chelsea before returning to the Bundesliga in 2015 to play for VfL Wolfsburg and later Borussia Dortmund. The World Cup winner of 2014 ended his playing career at the age of 29 in 2020. Also celebrating his birthday is Robson Ponte and the Brazilian is 46 today. The former midfielder played for Leverkusen from 1999 to 2001 making a total of 105 appearances in Black and Red across all competitions. The Brazilian also made his first appearance in the Champions League in his time under the Bayer Cross. Bayer 04 wish both a happy birthday.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended midfielder Noah Mbamba’s contract by twelve months and sent the Belgian U21 international on loan to France. At FC Lorient, the 21-year-old – whose contract at Leverkusen now runs to 30 June 2029 – is set to gain playing time in Ligue 1 and, through strong performances and further development, put himself in the running for a future place in the Werkself squad.
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Spurred on by a flawless hat-trick from Cornelia Kramer, the Bayer 04 women’s team won their penultimate pre-season friendly in commanding fashion. As part of the season launch, the Werkself beat Dutch top-flight side Feyenoord 7–0. In front of 3,000 spectators at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium, Kramer (6’, 25’, 45’), Sofie Zdebel (47’), Maja Sternad (59'), Natasha Kowalski (83') and Vanessa Fudalla (86') scored the goals for coach Roberto Pätzold’s side.
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There’s plenty for Bayer 04 fans to enjoy both on and off the pitch at the official 2026 season launch. In addition to the women’s team taking on Feyenoord at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium at 13:15 CEST and the men’s team facing Sevilla at the BayArena at 15:30 CEST, fans of all ages can enjoy a range of activities – and get to meet Bayer 04 players and former players in the process. The Fanwelt is also offering a special promotion: buy a new shirt and get free printing! Here’s an overview of everything you need to know about the season launch, including the live streams.
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A round-up of the Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land, all in one place: in our daily blog you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day six (Friday 7 August) is as follows: This morning, the squad completed their final training session – this time behind closed doors – here in Blankenhain, before heading back to Leverkusen after lunch. The big season launch is scheduled for tomorrow.
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