
Andrey Lunev finally made his debut for Bayer 04 in Budapest on 9 December. The Russia goalkeeper played the full 90 minutes in the final group match in the Europa League away to Hungarian champions Ferencváros. Bayer 04 TV accompanied the Werkself number 40 on the trip and met up with him for an interview. Here is the film on YouTube.
It should have been a positive end to the year: The Bayer 04 eSports players were due to face FC Köln on Tuesday night, 21 December, for a derby in the Virtual Bundesliga (VBL). However, the players from Cologne have had to cancel the match set to be played from 18.00 CET due to illness.
After ten games in the VBL Club Championship, the #B04eSports players have 41 points and are currently sixth out of 13 teams in the division. Xbox player Fabian ‘B04_DUBZJE’ de Cae and Co. are back in the VBL CC on Tuesday 11 January. They first face Borussia Mönchengladbach from 18.00 CET and two hours later they start the second half of the season against Holstein Kiel.
Fast counter-attacks and penetrating runs are part of the playing philosophy at the Werkself. There are several lightning quick players in the squad. Three of them belong to the total of 19 Bundesliga players who broke the 35 kmph mark in the first half of the season.

Seventh place in these sprinter rankings is taken by Jeremie Frimpong with the right-back chalking up a speed of 35.61 kmph. New signing Mitchel Bakker is in eighth spot with a speed of 35.58 kmph and Moussa Diaby is nineteenth. The Frenchman clocked up 35.14 kmph. Incredibly: The fastest Bundesliga player in the first half of the season is Jeremiah St. Juste (36.63 kmph) – a central defender at Mainz.
Are you still looking for Christmas presents? Bayer 04 can help you find the best Black and Red Christmas gifts. Click HERE for the online shop.
Markus Elmer played for Bayer 04 for three years. Signed from VfB Stuttgart in 1980, the sweeper from Oberkochen in Baden-Württemberg made 42 Bundesliga appearances for the Black and Reds (two goals). However, Elmer had problems with an Achilles tendon after many years of professional football and he made his last appearance on 25 September 1982 – in a 3-0 defeat against his former club Stuttgart. After his playing career ended, Elmer became a coach in amateur football. Today he celebrates his 69th birthday. Many happy returns.

Werkself-TV shows the highlights of the Bayer 04 women's 4-0 win at SGS Essen on the 24th matchday of the Google Pixel Frauen-Bundesliga 2025/26.
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The Bayer 04 Women have kept their chance of qualifying for the Champions League alive in the Bundesliga run-in. Coach Roberto Pätzold's team won 4-0 at SGS Essen on Sunday afternoon, improving their record from last season to 14 wins this term. With 43 points, the Werkself equalled another record from the 2024/25 season and at the same time reduced the gap to third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt to two points, at least for tonight. Loreen Bender (4’), Kristin Kögel (41’, 68’) and Cornelia Kramer (89’) scored for the Black and Reds, who dominated the game to record their fourth win on the bounce.
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With the 4-1 home win against RB Leipzig, the Werkself not only ended the run of five consecutive victories for RBL, but also moved up to fourth place, which would ensure qualification for the UEFA Champions League. While the media praised the impressive performance of Leverkusen's hat-trick hero Patrik Schick in particular, the team and coach were delighted with the "fantastic energy" from the stands and are looking to take the momentum into the remaining two games: "We have to perform like we did today in Stuttgart!" The Werkself review.
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Werkself TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04's 4-1 win against RB Leipzig on Matchday 32 of the 2025/26 Bundesliga season...
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