Jonathan Tah has played every minute of the Bundesliga season to date. No question that the 25-year-old has developed into the undisputed boss of the defence since the start of the season. In last Saturday's second half of the season opener against Union Berlin the Black and Reds number four did not put a foot wrong again in defence and he secured a deserved point for the Werkself with his powerful headed goal on 84 minutes for the final scoreline of 2-2. In our eyes, he fully deserves his place in the football journal kicker German international players Team of the Matchday. Congratulations Jona.
Sky commentator Marcus Lindemann was back on the microphone. The 56-year-old commentated on the clash between the Werkself and Union – it was his first appearance after a long time out. Lindemann gave the reason for his absence over the last weeks and months the day before the match. In an operation, a facial nerve "came out in sympathy" and that led to the right side of his face being paralysed. Lindemann is however hopeful that the situation is temporary. Welcome back.
One day after the clash with the Irons, the first team players in the starting line-up had a recovery session while the other players came together for normal training on pitch one. There was no training on Monday with preparations for matchday 19 beginning tomorrow on Tuesday: The team under head coach Gerardo Seoane are away to Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday, 15 January. The kick-off against the team placed twelfth in the Bundesliga at Borussia Park is at 18.30 CET.
Edmond Tapsoba will not be available for the clash with the Foals. The Werkself central defender is currently away at the Africa Cup of Nations. Sunday night saw Burkina Faso start the tournament with a 2-1 defeat against hosts Cameroon – without Tapsoba. The 22-year-old was not in the squad for the West African side. The next match in Group A is set for Thursday, 13 January (kick-off: 20.00 CET). That game is against Cape Verde. The final match of the group stage for Burkina Faso is against Ethiopia on Monday, 17 January (kick-off: 17.00 CET).
Tapsoba’s Bayer 04 teammate Odilon Kossounou is also at the African tournament with the Ivory Coast. The summer signing starts the tournament with his national team on Wednesday, 12 January (kick-off: 20.00 CET) against Equatorial Guinea. The Ivorians in Group B also face Sierra Leone (16 January) and Algeria (20 January). All matches in the Africa Cup of Nations are being broadcast on the streaming service DAZN.
Not a new signing but a new name nevertheless in the Bayer 04 Women's squad: Goalkeeper Frederike Abt married recently and is now called Friederike Repohl. The 27-year-old joined Leverkusen from VfL Wolfsburg in the summer. Congratulations on your marriage, Rike.
The new calendar year for the Bayer 04 eSports players starts with an extra special clash: Fabian ‘B04_DUBZJE’ de Cae and Co. have a rearranged fixture on Monday night in the VBL Club Championship against FC Köln. The derby on matchday 11 in December was postponed.
The Werkself eSports players are currently seventh in the VBL CC and the rivals from Cologne are two places behind with three points less. The match kicks off at 18.00 and the rearranged fixture will be broadcast as usual on the Bayer 04 club Twitch channel.
Eastern Germany's most successful talk show celebrated an anniversary last Friday night – the MDR production of Riverboat had its 30th anniversary. Leverkusen sporting managing director Rudi Völler was one of many VIP guests. In an extensive interview with comedian Matze Knoop, the 61-year-old talked about his first matches as a football player in the German Democratic Republic and what he spent his first wages on back then.
The whole broadcast of the anniversary Riverboat – Talk show is available HERE. The interview with Völler starts at 1 minute 47.
There won’t just be plenty of excitement on the pitch as Bayer 04 host Borussia Dortmund at the BayArena at 18:30 CET on Saturday. Outside the stadium there will be collection points for food donations to the Leverkusen Foodbank, which will also benefit from the profits of a jersey raffle in the Fanwelt afterwards. There will also be a minute’s silence before kick-off following the passing of long-time Werkself player Dieter Herzog, before two fan clubs are honoured for their decades-long support at half-time and fans receive a talk about Orange Day, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game in our matchday news.
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Bayer 04 go into the first of two successive clashes with Borussia Dortmund boosted by their Champions League win at Manchester City. Ahead of the Bundesliga top match on Saturday, 29 November (kick-off: 18:30 CET), coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke about the tight schedule, BVB's strengths and returning squad members.
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Borussia Dortmund are doing very well in terms of points and results in the Bundesliga, the DFB Pokal and the UEFA Champions League. BVB have only suffered two defeats to date this term. Now coach Niko Kovac's team are away to the Werkself on Saturday night, 29 November (kick-off: 18:30 CET) in the top match on Bundesliga matchday 12. The two teams meet again three days later in the DFB Pokal Round of 16 tie in Dortmund. Two very competitive encounters are on the cards. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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The Bayer 04 Women clcoked up a 3-2 win in a friendly against Twente Enschede on Thursday afternoon in the last international break of 2025. In drizzle, Lilla Turanyi (16’), Kristin Kögel (65’) and Paulina Bartz (69’) scored the goals for the Werkself against the Dutch Eredivisie Vrouwen leaders, who are still unbeaten in the league.
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