Bayer 04 kick off the Round of 16 ties: As announced by the DFB this morning, the team under head coach Peter Bosz play Rot-Weiss Essen in the last sixteen on Tuesday 2 February. The kick-off at the Stadion Essen is at 18.30 CET; Sky will broadcast the match. RWE are only the only lower league left in the competition but the Black and Reds cannot afford to underestimate the opponents in the DFB Cup.
The team including top striker Simon Engelmann (18 goals in 20 games) have clocked up 50 out of a possible 60 points in the Regional League West. In the DFB Cup, head coach Christian Neidhart and his players have already knocked out Bundesliga club Arminia Bielefeld (1-0) and top second division team Fortuna Düsseldorf (3-2).
The Werkself reached the Round of 16 with a 7-0 victory over North Regional League Eintracht Norderstedt and a 4-1 win against Eintracht Frankfurt.
It’s more than four years since Florian Badstübner last refereed a match involving Bayer 04. The now 29-year-old was in charge of the DFB Cup first round tie against SC Hauenstein in Pirmasens in 2016/17. The Werkself beat the Oberliga side 2-1 with goals scored by Chicharito and Karim Bellarabi. Badstübner showed two yellow cards to the Black and Reds in that match – including one for Tin Jedvaj who, like Bellarabi, is still in the Leverkusen squad today.
The referee from Windsbach bei Nürnberg will be in charge of his second game involving the Werkself on Friday night, 15 January: Badstübner will start the Bundesliga match between FC Union Berlin and Bayer 04 at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei at 20.30 CET.
A special award for the safe pair of hands at the Werkself: Lukas Hradecky has been voted the 2020 Sports Personality of the Year in Finland. The first-choice keeper at Bayer 04, in goal for the ‘Eagle Owls’ since 2010, played the full 90 minutes in all the Bundesliga games in 2020. The congenial Finland shot-stopper will be between the sticks in the summer at the Euros in the first big tournament in the history of the national side.
In recognition of the award for the 31-year-old, Bayer 04 TV has put together a highlights video of his best saves. Hradecky also talks about the award in the video. Congratulations, Lukas!
Left-back Wendell faced 04 questions from Bayer 04 fans this week. The cheerful Brazilian revealed his favourite meal from his home country, which he is unable to cook particularly well as he admits himself. The 27-year-old talks about his Brazilian role models and changes in position at the start of his playing career. HERE is the video.
He started a goalkeeping era at Leverkusen: René Adler joined the youth set-up at Bayer 04 from VfB Leipzig just after the millennium when he was 15. He progressed through the U17s to the reserve team and finally made it to the senior squad in 2003. Adler went on to make 138 Bundesliga appearances for the Werkself in the following nine years. After new signing Bernd Leno took his place in goal in 2011/12, Adler moved on to Hamburg SV. He finished his playing career at FSV Mainz 05 in the summer of 2019. The former Leverkusen player is 36. Happy birthday, René.
In contrast to Adler, the second birthday boy is still playing: Nicolai Jörgensen is currently at top Dutch club Feyenoord and he has scored two goals in the current Eredivisie campaign. The tall centre-forward was at Bayer 04 from 2010 to 2013 where he also went out on loan to a number of other clubs. Jörgensen celebrates his 30th birthday on Friday. Happy birthday.
And finally, we come to two former Leverkusen players from the old days: Like Adler and Jörgensen, Werner Görts is also a year older on this Friday – best birthday wishes. The 79-year-old played for Bayer 04 from 1962 to 1965 in the Oberliga West and the Regional League West. Adam Ledwon, at Leverkusen from January 1998 to June 1999, would have been 47. Sadly, the former Poland international passed away in the summer of 2008.
Bayer 04 earned a 2-2 draw at FC Augsburg on Bundesliga Matchday 3 with a late equaliser. The Werkself led at half-time through Christian Kofane's strike but the hosts, who went in the game as league leaders, turned it around with a quickfire double from Michael Gregoritsch after the break. The Black-and-Reds didn't give up, though, and salvaged a point thanks to substitute Patrik Schick's flick in the 89th minute.
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After the first win of the season against 1. FC Union Berlin (4-0) last weekend, the Werkself are aiming to collect another three points at FC Augsburg on Saturday 12 September (kick-off 15:30 CEST). The hosts, meanwhile, are enjoying their best-ever start to a Bundesliga campaign and go into Matchday 3 top of the table for the first time. The Matchday News.
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The Werkself are away to FC Augsburg on matchday 3 of the 2026/27 Bundesliga season. The game at the WWK Arena against the current – and for the first time – league leaders of the German top flight is on Saturday 12 September at 15:30 CEST. Ahead of the match, head coach Carles Martínez spoke about this week’s training and the team’s approach to the fixture, as they face an opponent brimming with confidence. The Spaniard also addressed a number of squad matters.
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FC Augsburg are top of the table for the first time in their Bundesliga history. After two wins for starters, FCA lead the German top-flight with six points and a goal difference of 7 to 1. This Saturday, 12 September (kick-off: 15:30 CEST), Augsburg are looking to build on their strong start to the season against the Werkself. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Following the closure of the 2026 summer transfer window, the Bayer 04 men's and women's first teams lined up for a first-ever joint photo at the BayArena. Werkself fans can now download the official photos for free.
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