TSG Hoffenheim have not lost more home games in the Bundesliga against any other club than Bayer 04 (eight as with Bayern Munich). TSG have only let in more goals at home against Borussia Mönchengladbach (28) than against the Werkself (26).
German professional football is paying tribute to the victims of the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria. The German Football League (DFL) have recommended a minute's silence at fixtures in the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 on the current matchday. The victims of the earthquake will also be remembered today ahead of kick-off at the PreZero Arena.
The Werkself goalkeeping coach David Thiel suffered a muscular injury in training and – as with the warm-up for the goalkeepers at today's game including Lukas Hradecky – he will have the support of Jan Conradi (goalkeeper coordinator at the Kurtekotten Performance Centre).
Last weekend's 5-2 defeat at VfL Bochum caused consternation amongst many people involved with TSG. "For some inexplicable reason, we weren't at it for the whole game and this negative run has to finally come to an end," said goalkeeper Oliver Baumann after the tenth match without a win. Hoffenheim stalwart Sebastian Rudy was equally baffled: "I don't know what we've done here. We give away goals, lose challenges and mess up our games." Eight defeats, two draws: That is the sobering return for TSG since the middle of October 2022. With the introduction of experienced winter signings and a new head coach in the dugout, TSG will be looking for a change of fortune in the home game against Bayer 04. Here is the profile of today’s opponents.
The German Football Association (DFB) has appointed Tobias Stieler as the referee for today's game in Sinsheim. This will be the 25th match involving the Werkself with the 41-year-old in charge. Stieler will be assisted by Christian Gittelmann and Philipp Hüwe plus Tobias Welz as the VAR.
As usual, anybody unable to be at today's game can tune in to Werkself Radio. The audio broadcast starts 30 minutes before kick-off with commentary provided by Cedric Pick and Niko Hartmann. The latest information can also be gained from live text updates to ensure you don't miss any of the action. Both Werkself Radio and the live text updates can be found bayer04.de as well as on the Bayer 04 app .
One of the longest serving players at the Werkself celebrates his birthday today: Jonathan Tah, at Leverkusen since 2015, is now 27 years old. The Hamburg-born defender has made an impressive 283 appearances (8 goals, 11 assists) for Bayer 04 and Tah has played in every Bundesliga match this term. Many happy returns, Jona!
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have appointed Carles Martínez Novell as the new head coach. The 42-year-old Spaniard worked for FC Toulouse in the French Ligue 1 until the end of the season. Martínez finished last term in ninth place with the club from the south of France. He will take over the Werkself on 1 July 2026 and has signed a contract to 30 June 2028. Martínez, whose contract with Toulouse expires at the end of the month, succeeds Kasper Hjulmand at Leverkusen, who is leaving the club after one season.
Show more
Welcome to Leverkusen, Carles Martínez Novell. Bayer 04 have appointed the 42-year-old Spaniard as the new head coach on a contract to 2028. Martínez most recently worked for FC Toulouse in the French Ligue 1 until the end of the season. He previously spent four years at Barcelona's legendary academy La Masia in his home city. Bayer04.de introduces Martínez in more detail.
Show more
Bayer 04 plans for the 2026/27 pre-season continue to take shape. The Werkself will kick off the new season in mid-July with the return to the training ground. The highlight will be the official season opener on 8 August at the BayArena, including a friendly against La Liga club Sevilla. Friendlies in Germany will take the team to neighbouring Monheim, Offenbach and Jena.
Show more
Strengthening the Bayer 04 Leverkusen youth teams: Konstantinos Kotsifakis will join the Werkself from Bundesliga 2 club Hertha Berlin for the 2026/27 season, where he will be a permanent member of the Leverkusen U19 coaching set-up. The German-Greek will also take on an operational role in coaching the Bayer 04 Future Team. The 29-year-old was most recently head coach of the U17s at Hertha Berlin.
Show more
Another award for the Bayer 04 head groundsman and staff: After coming top in the 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2024/25 seasons, the BayArena pitch came second in the Bundesliga Pitch of the Year ranking for the 2025/26 season. VfL Wolfsburg secured the top spot this year, with TSG Hoffenheim in third place.
Show more
