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.
The penultimate Bundesliga matchday of the calendar year marks the end of an eventful first half of the season for the Bayer 04 Women. After seven wins, one draw and four defeats from the first twelve games of the season, coach Roberto Pätzold's team can go above Werder Bremen in the table with a win on Friday, 12 December (kick-off: 18:30 CET).
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The third showdown in the VBL Club Championship 2025/26 kicks off for the Leverkusen eSports team this Thursday, 11 December (live on the B04eSports Twitch channel from 19:00 CET). In the online preliminary round, the Black and Red will once again take on six previously drawn opponents for a place in the Top 16 and the associated entry into the offline knockout round, which will take place at this third showdown on 19 December in Cologne. Showdown One winners Bayer 04 will face FC St. Pauli, who won the second showdown last month, among others. The lowdown on first three opponents in this online preliminary round.
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Alejandro Grimaldo, of course! With his late equaliser (88') in the Champions League clash against Newcastle United, the Spaniard rescued a point for the Werkself, who took the lead through an own goal by Newcastle's Bruno Guimaraes (13') but went with two goals for the visitors scored by Anthony Gordon (51') and Lewis Miley (74'). It was the third draw for Bayer 04 in the current 2025/26 campaign on matchday 6 in the UCL league phase.
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The Werkself will be looking to continue their run in the Champions League against Newcastle United on Wednesday, 10 December (kick-off: 21:00 CET). The two victories without conceding a goal at Benfica (1:0) and Manchester City (2-0) will hopefully be followed by a win at home at the BayArena. Against the English side, who have a player with a Black and Red past in their ranks, the way to victory could be through efficiency in attack and quick transitional play. The latter in particular has recently caused the Magpies problems away from home on the European stage. Fans can also get the stylish matchday sticker for their Sound of Dreams tour pass at the Bayer 04 Fanwelt. The matchday news.
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For the first time ever, Bayer 04 have reached the knockout phase of the UEFA Youth League. At the end of the league phase, the Leverkusen U19s secured a 2-1 home win against Newcastle United on Wednesday, 10 December. Montrell Culbreath scored before half-time and Ferdinand Pohl doubled the lead after the restart in the clash with the English side. The UCL youth competition continues at the beginning of February with the Round of 32, which will be played away from home without a second leg.
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