Union Saint-Gilloise are playing in a European competition again for the first time in 58 years. The Belgian club played in the Fairs Cup (predecessor to the UEFA Cup) five times from the 1950s to the the middle of the 1960s. USG have proved to be very successful on their return to the European stage: The 1-0 defeat against Union Berlin in the group stage is their only loss in the Europa League this term. The overall tally: 5 wins, 2 draws, 1 defeat.
The Werkself have experience in coming out on top against Belgian teams: Bayer 04 have only lost once in seven matches against Belgian clubs with three wins and three draws in the other games. Leverkusen did not concede a single goal in the three home fixtures.
Following four wins in succession, USG had to settle for one point in the Jupiler Pro League at the weekend. The team under coach Karel Geraerts earned a 1-1 draw in the big match against fourth-placed Gent and remain second behind league leaders Genk. Union Saint-Gilloise have already qualified again for the championship play-offs between the top four clubs with 69 points from 32 games. The Yellow and Blues could take top spot in the remaining two league fixtures as they are only two points adrift from Genk. USG had a sensational season as a newly promoted club last term and they only lost to Club Brugge in the play-offs. You can find out more about the personnel, performers and problems for the Belgian club in our lowdown on the next opponents.
Bayer 04 requests 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.
In addition, Nordkurve12, the independent umbrella organisation of Bayer 04 fans, has called for supporters to meet the team bus. From 19.00 CEST, all Bayer 04 fans are asked to be on Bismarckstraße to show vocal support for the Werkself.
Anyone wanting to read key facts about the match against USG before the game should take a look at the new Werkself LIVE. The matchday magazine is available at the BayArena and the digital version is also available free of charge online. This includes a Kerem Demirbay poster. HERE is the e-paper.
UEFA has appointed Ivan Kruzliak as the referee for today’s quarter-final first leg. Foe the 39-year-old Slovak, who has already been in charge of three Champions League games this season, it will be the first fixture involving the Werkself. His assistant referees are his fellow countrymen Branislav Hancko and Jan Pozor, Paolo Valeri is 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 und 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 updates can be found at bayer04.de and on the Bayer 04 app – tune in.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have appointed Carles Martínez Novell as the new head coach. The 42-year-old Spaniard worked for FC Toulouse in the French Ligue 1 until the end of the season. Martínez finished last term in ninth place with the club from the south of France. He will take over the Werkself on 1 July 2026 and has signed a contract to 30 June 2028. Martínez, whose contract with Toulouse expires at the end of the month, succeeds Kasper Hjulmand at Leverkusen, who is leaving the club after one season.
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Welcome to Leverkusen, Carles Martínez Novell. Bayer 04 have appointed the 42-year-old Spaniard as the new head coach on a contract to 2028. Martínez most recently worked for FC Toulouse in the French Ligue 1 until the end of the season. He previously spent four years at Barcelona's legendary academy La Masia in his home city. Bayer04.de introduces Martínez in more detail.
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Bayer 04 plans for the 2026/27 pre-season continue to take shape. The Werkself will kick off the new season in mid-July with the return to the training ground. The highlight will be the official season opener on 8 August at the BayArena, including a friendly against La Liga club Sevilla. Friendlies in Germany will take the team to neighbouring Monheim, Offenbach and Jena.
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Strengthening the Bayer 04 Leverkusen youth teams: Konstantinos Kotsifakis will join the Werkself from Bundesliga 2 club Hertha Berlin for the 2026/27 season, where he will be a permanent member of the Leverkusen U19 coaching set-up. The German-Greek will also take on an operational role in coaching the Bayer 04 Future Team. The 29-year-old was most recently head coach of the U17s at Hertha Berlin.
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Another award for the Bayer 04 head groundsman and staff: After coming top in the 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2024/25 seasons, the BayArena pitch came second in the Bundesliga Pitch of the Year ranking for the 2025/26 season. VfL Wolfsburg secured the top spot this year, with TSG Hoffenheim in third place.
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