It was an acoustic topic of discussion in the TV broadcast, in the press box and even inside the BayArena. While the Werkself were playing their home game against Hoffenheim (4-1) on Sunday night, a large number of festively decorated tractors brought attention to themselves with loud honking of horns.
Farmers from the region carried out their second procession on the third Sunday in Advent with their illuminated tractors making their way through the Leverkusen residential areas. "With this event, we wanted to spread a bit of joy amongst the people during this time of the pandemic," was the view of the organiser. "And we didn't miss the chance to send a suitable greeting to our league leaders." On the second Sunday in Advent, the column of tractors visited children's and care homes for the elderly and distributed a large number of gingerbread men. A great event.
And this community project, which Bayer 04 are involved with, has also produced positive headlines: The fan liaison at the current Bundesliga league leaders have called for donations in recent days and weeks. That resulted in the donation of 86 gift boxes and commodity contributions plus Christmas biscuits and more. The donations were distributed at food stations run by the volunteer homeless support group ‘Kältegang Leverkusen’.
Back to football: The home win against Hoffenheim not only brought another three points to the Werkself but also top spot in the Bundesliga for the first time since matchday three in the 2014/15 season. The head coach then was Roger Schmidt who was at Leverkusen from 2014 to 2017. The current coach of PSV Eindhoven can look back at 61 wins and 29 draws with Bayer 04. The Black and Reds ended that season in fourth place with a total of 61 points.
It was not only Werkself fans who honoured Leon Bailey for his brace against TSG with the title of Man of the Match. Journalists also highlighted the performance of the Jamaican. The Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger and the Rheinische Post awarded top marks to Bailey who was also included in the team the day by kicker. Youngster Florian Wirtz and stalwart Julian Baumgartlinger were awarded high marks in the Stadt-Anzeiger.
The 18-year-old Samed Onur did not play against Hoffenheim but he did make his first-team debut last week in the 4-0 home win against Slavia Prague. Thanks to his first appearance under head coach Peter Bosz, Onur is now listed in the Werkself squad on bayer04.de. Up-and-coming talents Emrehan Gedikli and Cem Tuna Türkmen made their debuts previously in the Europa League. Click HERE for Onur’s profile.
New signing Miguel Gutiérrez arrives in Leverkusen having won the Champions League, the Spanish league title and an Olympic gold medal. However, the 25-year-old Spaniard, signed from Napoli, is looking to the future – he wants to write the next chapter of success with the Werkself. Bayer04.de takes a closer look at the skilful, attack-minded left-back, who will wear the number 3 jersey.
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The Werkself's training camp in Weimarer Land all in one place: in our daily blog you'll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day three (Tuesday 4 August) begins with a thorough open session on the pitch. After lunch, some players have media engagements at the team hotel, and then the team come together for a barbecue in the evening.
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Nine matches against teams from nine countries, two penalty shoot-outs won, and encounters that went far beyond football: As with last year, the Inklusionswerkself enjoyed an extraordinary week at the Genuine Cup 2026 in Houston, USA, and made memories that will last a lifetime. This year, the Leverkusen side took part as Germany’s official representatives and, accordingly, took to the pitch in Germany kit. Together with 53 teams from 53 nations, the Black and Reds once again sent a powerful message of inclusion and participation – and also impressed on the pitch by winning their group.
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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. The programme for day two (Monday, 3 August) centres on two training sessions – one in the morning (open to the public) and one in the early evening (behind closed doors) – at the nearby training grounds. In the afternoon, fans can look forward to a big fan meet-up with club legend Paulo Sergio at Schloss Blankenhain.
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