
Bayer 04 supporters will be happy to recall 16 December 2020 when the Werkself held on to top spot in the Bundesliga with a brilliant 4-0 away win at FC Köln. It was the 25th win in the 65th meeting with the Goats in the top flight – with 24 games ending in draws. Werkself head coach Hannes Wolf is set to experience his first derby with Bayer 04.
Interesting facts and stats on #B04KOE are available in the brand new BayArena Aktuell along with other exciting news from the Black and Red world plus an interview with midfield dynamo Exequiel Palacios.
HERE is the online matchday magazine BayArena Aktuell.
Saturday is not only really special because of the derby for Charles Aránguiz: Our number 20 celebrates his 32nd birthday and he could be leading the team out for the first time against FC Köln since being appointed captain at the start of the campaign. The Chilean missed the 4-0 win in the first half of the season due to injury.
The match officials for the derby have been confirmed: The clash with FC Köln on Saturday night will be refereed by Sören Storks. His assistants are Thorben Siewer and Thorsten Schiffner. Daniel Siebert is the VAR referee in the studio in Cologne.
DFL CEO Christian Seifert has initially ruled out a suspension of the Bundesliga season in spite of several coronavirus cases at Hertha Berlin. The Berlin team are currently in self-isolation and will not complete their next three fixtures. The German Football League (DFL) is not currently considering the suspension of the season, the 51-year-old reported on Bild live.
“It’s clear we have time to end the season in the normal way with matters being settled on the pitch rather than in committee rooms,” said Seifert. “If we see the season looks different in two weeks then we’ll reconsider the position.”
The release period for the Euros starting on 11 June begins on 31 May and there could be problems with the schedule with more rearranged Bundesliga fixtures. The final matchday in Germany’s top flight is on 22 May.
The former Bayer 04 player Patrick Helmes will take over as the head coach of Regional League side Alemannia Aachen for next season. The 37-year-old has agreed a long-term deal and he replaces the interim coach Kristoffer Andersen.
During his career the Cologne-born striker played for the Werkself from 2008 to January 2011. Helmes made 57 Bundesliga appearances and scored 28 goals in that time. After retiring in 2015, the 13-time international became a coach.
Up to now, Helmes has coached the FC Köln second team, Rot-Weiß Erfurt and most recently the Austrian Bundesliga team FC Admira Wacker Mödling. Between the jobs in Erfurt and Austria he was a youth coach at Bayer 04.

It's time for another Members' Matchday! Bayer 04's Bundesliga home game against 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 on Saturday 8 November (kick-off 15:30 CET) will see lots on offer for Werkself fans of all ages on the areas around the BayArena. Members also benefit from exclusive discounts until Sunday. More information on that, and the clash with FCH, in the Matchday News.
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1. FC Heidenheim 1846 are currently bottom of the table in their third season in the Bundesliga. However, after a poor start, the underdogs from Baden-Württemberg have recently shown an upturn in form. This Saturday, 8 November (kick-off: 15:30 CET), FCH will once again be looking perform as a cohesive, combative unit at the BayArena. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Before heading into the final international break of the year, the Werkself entertain 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 at home in the Bundesliga on Saturday, 8 November (kick-off: 15:30 CET). Ahead of the encounter on Bundesliga matchday 10, head coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke about anticipation ahead of the game in front of a home crowd after three away fixtures in a row. He also talked about player availability.
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The fixture details for the Round of 16 ties in the 2025/26 DFB Pokal have been finalised. Accordingly, Bayer 04's away match at Borussia Dortmund will be played on Tuesday, 2 December, at 21:00 CET. This was announced by the German Football Association (DFB) today (Thursday).
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Bayer 04 picked up their first three points in the current Champions League campaign on matchday 4 in the league phase with a courageous and determined display in a 1-0 win at Benfica (1:0). "It was a hugely important win," said coach Kasper Hjulmand after the game, paying tribute to his players for their battling performance right to the end. The Werkself defended resolutely right to the end and kept out off shot after shot. Keeper Mark Flekken said: "We were determined to get these three points and gave everything we had on the pitch!" Read on for more reaction plus the facts and stats on the away win at the Portuguese record champions in the Werkself review.
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