
Sven Jablonski has been appointed to oversee this match. The 32-year-old has previously taken charge of 10 games involving Leverkusen, which have produced seven Bayer 04 wins, a draw and two defeats. His assistants are Sascha Thielert and Lasse Koslowski. Daniel Siebert is the VAR.
A total of 871 fans are making the journey from Leverkusen to cheer on the team at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig.
Leipzig have lost just two of the 12 Bundesliga encounters with the Werkself, scoring in every game. However, Bayer 04 won the last meeting 3-1 in Leipzig last season. But Die Roten Bullen have been very good on their own patch this team, leading the Bundesliga’s home table with 13 points and a +10 goal difference. Marco Rose is the first RB coach to win his first three Bundesliga home games in charge.
However, his fourth game at the helm at the Red Bull Arena is against Leverkusen, against whom the 46-year-old has suffered the most losses (four, same as vs. Leipzig and Bayern) and conceded the most goals (17, same as vs. Bayern) of any team he’s faced in the Bundesliga. His last encounter with the Werkself produced a 5-2 home loss in charge of Borussia Dortmund in February. That’s also the only time one of his teams has conceded five times in a Bundesliga home game.
Our opponents have got back towards their best under Rose, even ending Real Madrid’s 16-game unbeaten run during the week with a 3-2 win in the Champions League. Their domestic form also looks on the up since the Leipzig native took over. They have picked up 11 points in six league games under the 46-year-old. Only Union Berlin and Eintracht Frankfurt (both 12) have earned more points since Matchday 6 than RB. They also boast the division’s best attack in that time (14 goals) after Bayern (15), led by Christopher Nkunku, who leads the division’s pre-matchday scoring chart with eight goals alongside Niclas Füllkrug and Marcus Thuram.

Standing on the pitch where the Werkself players perform - for many Bayer 04 club members, this wish became reality at this year's Members' kickabout. Around 400 active participants of all ages took the opportunity to experience the BayArena from a new and special perspective. And there was also plenty going on in the stands: The event attracted more than 1,000 visitors in total and provided an atmospheric end to the season.
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Lying third in the Bundesliga, the Werkself made a faltering start in 2026 after the winter break, but gradually rediscovered winning ways and, as in the previous campaign, were among the top 16 in Europe and the top four in the DFB Pokal. In the Bundesliga, the Werkself also remained in the race for Champions League qualification right to the end. However, because setbacks repeatedly crept into the Werkself's performances between good displays and crucial games, it was not quite enough to secure a UCL spot in the end. A season with many ups and downs brought sixth place and qualification for the UEFA Europa League. Part II of the review of the 2025/26 season.
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Rogier Meijer is leaving Bayer 04 Leverkusen and returning to his native Netherlands: The 44-year-old will take over at Eredivisie club Sparta Rotterdam on 1 July. Meijer has been part of the Werkself coaching set-up since the start of the 2025/26 season - first as assistant coach to Erik ten Hag, then on Kasper Hjulmand's staff.
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Following the final match of the 2025/26 season, the prevailing feeling was naturally one of disappointment after missing out on qualification for the Champions League. The Werkself finished the Bundesliga in sixth place, meaning they'll start the 2026/27 campaign in the Europa League. "But to talk negatively about everything now because of that would be wrong," stressed captain Robert Andrich following the final game, knowing that the past year at Bayer 04 was marked, more than almost any other, by the start of a new era and the courage to change – and in particular, the belief in a positive direction. Everyone was aware this process would need time. The first part of the 2025/26 season review.
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