And the Bayer 04 attack can expect to come up against a very strong defence in the team from the Greek capital: Panathinaikos did not concede in the goalless draw in the friendly against the English club Watford or in the 1-0 win against Al-Duhail from Qatar.
And the team under head coach Ivan Jovanovic had the best defence in the Super League last term (along with champions Olympiacos) with only 26 goals conceded in 36 matches. While that "only" meant fourth place in the Greek top-flight for the team from the capital, Panathinaikos did secure a title last season: They won the domestic cup competition in the middle of May with a 1-0 win in the final against PAOK Thessaloniki.
The core of the Panathinaikos team is formed by Greek players like captain Dimitrios Kourbelis who is in his sixth season with the 20-time Greek champions. Probably the biggest talent in the PAOK squad, homegrown player Sotiris Alexandropoulos, plays alongside the skipper in midfield.
The Greek players line up alongside teammates from other countries in southern Europe: Goalkeeper Alberto Brignoli is Italian, left-back Xavier is Portuguese, central defender Zvonimir Sarlija comes from Croatia and four other players are Spanish.
Panathinaikos and Bayer 04 have played each other in competitive matches in the past: In the Round of 16 in the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1993/94, the Black and Reds lost 2-1 in the first leg but went through to the next round with a 4-1 victory over the Greeks in the second leg.
A group of about 50 members of the Bayer 04 Football Academy São Paulo visited Leverkusen over the past few days, accompanied by Bayer 04 club legend Paulo Sergio and Luiz Felipe (managing director of academy in São Paulo) for a week full of football, encounters and very special insights. In addition to the Bundesliga away game in Elversberg and the home game against Union Berlin, the visit also featured a joint training session with the Bayer 04 Football Academy in Leverkusen and a tour of the Bayer AG facilities. The guests also gained special insights into the club and the world of Bayer 04.
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The men's clothing retailer LERROS will remain the official fashion and premium partner of Bayer 04 for the current season. As in the past, LERROS will provide the club's men's team, coaching staff and management with high-quality clothing for international trips.
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“Diaby! Diaby! Diaby!” was the cry around the BayArena as the Werkself danced in front of the north stand following their 4-0 win over Union Berlin. Captain Edmond Tapsoba gave his new (and old) teammate a friendly shove forward to take in the acclaim from the fans. The returning Frenchman was typically reserved in thanking the supporters but was clearly emotional about what was happening.
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Werkself TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04's 4-0 win against Union Berlin on Matchday 2 of the 2026/27 Bundesliga season...
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Bayer 04 have been handed a home tie in the second round of the 2026/27 DFB Pokal after being paired with Nürnberg in Saturday evening’s draw at the German Football Museum in Dortmund. Games will be played on 27/28 October, with the German FA to confirm kick-off times in due course.
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