While all is quiet at club level for Bayer 04 since the last day of the 2020/21 Bundesliga season, there is international action at the moment. Several Werkself players have been in action for their countries. That also applies to the two South American Werkself players Charles Aránguiz and Exequiel Palacios. In the World Cup qualifiers, Chile with our captain, who played the full 90 minutes, drew 1-1 with Bolivia. The Black and Red midfield dynamo Exequiel Palacios came on as a substitute for Giovanni Lo Celso on 54 minutes in the game between the 'Albiceleste' and Colombia. This match also ended in a draw for Palacios and the Argentina national side – with a 2-2 scoreline after the team under head coach Lionel Scaloni gave away a 2-0 lead.
Another Werkself player was on international duty 10,000 kilometres away in the Generali Arena in Prague. In a friendly ahead of the forthcoming European Championship, the Czech team with Patrik Schick faced Albania. The Leverkusen striker opened the scoring on 18 minutes to set his team on course for a 3-1 victory.
Aleksandar Dragovic and Julian Baumgartlinger (Austria) were in the squad on Sunday for a friendly against Slovakia – the match ended in a goalless draw. The two Leverkusen players did not play. The Werkself shot-stopper Lukas Hradecky was between the sticks for the Eagle Owls. The Finland team under coach Markku Kanerva lost 1-0 to Estonia. Joel Pohjanpalo, on loan at Union Berlin last season, played for 61 minutes.
Talking about the European Championship: Werkself supporters will see one or two familiar faces at home on TV during the tournament that opens on Friday, 11 June with the match between Italy and Turkey (kick-off: 21.00 CEST). The former Bayer 04 youth and assistant coach Peter Hyballa is working for ZDF as a TV pundit for the Euros. Hyballa, who worked at the Performance Centre and with the senior squad from 2014 to 2016, will mainly contribute his tactical expertise.
The former Werkself defender Rudolf Wojtowicz is 65 years old today. The Pole, who was a member of the Black and Red defence from 1982 to 1986, made 80 appearances for the Werkself in four seasons and scored two goals along the way. Wojtowicz has been working as a scout for VfL Wolfsburg since 2010. In March 2021 he collapsed on the way to a scouting mission and was taken to hospital. Bayer 04 wish Rudolf many happy returns and all the best.
Three days after their convincing 4-2 victory at FC Carl Zeiss Jena, the Bayer 04 Women are once again favourites for their next Bundesliga fixture. On Wednesday, 5 November (19:00 CET), the Werkself welcome promoted Hamburger SV to the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. The match will take place as part of Bayer 04's Health Weeks - with a focus on organ donation.
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The Werkself host Premier League club Newcastle United on matchday 6 in the league phase of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League campaign. The match at the BayArena is on Wednesday, 10 December, at 21:00 CET. Read on for information on ticket sales for this fixture.
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On Saturday afternoon in Manhattan, supporters of Bayer 04 Leverkusen gathered at popular football bar Legends in midtown to cheer on the Black and Red against FC Bayern during a Matchday 9 watch party organized at the Bundesliga Haus.
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The Werkself are away to Portuguese record champions Benfica on matchday 4 in the league phase of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League campaign. The match is on Wednesday, 5 November (kick-off: 20:00 GMT/21:00 CET) at the Estádio da Luz. The Bayer 04 fan liaison team brings you the latest information ahead of the game...
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Bayer 04 have been drawn away from home at Borussia Dortmund in the round of 16 of the 2025/26 DFB Pokal following Sunday’s draw in the German Football Museum in Dortmund. The game will be played on either 2 or 3 December, with the German FA to confirm the dates of all fixtures in the coming days.
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