That’s a great opportunity for all Bayer 04 fans: The attractive friendly against the four-time European cup winners from Porto, with 31 domestic league titles and 16 cup triumphs to their credit, will be broadcast live at bayer04.de and is also live on Facebook – as was recently the case when the Werkself clocked up a 4-0 win against Koblenz.
Head coach Roger Schmidt and his team will face a tougher challenge this time round. “We know Porto are a top team playing at the highest level. It will be interesting to see who’s further on in the pre-season,” said Kevin Kampl. And his midfield team-mate and Copa America winner Charles Aránguiz, who returned to training this week, added: “Friendlies against top teams like Porto are always helpful.” Bayer 04 fans will be able to see for themselves from 18.00 CET by watching the live stream at bayer04.de and on Facebook.
Bender and Brandt off to Frankfurt on Thursday
For the captain Lars Bender and Julian Brandt it will the last appearance in a Werkself shirt for the next few weeks: Thursday marks the start of the Olympic adventure in Rio for the two players. The Germany squad under coach Horst Hrubesch come together for three days in Frankfurt and fly out from there on Saturday to Brazil.
Bayer 04 turned in a dominant performance in a 7-0 win against fifth-tier side Sportfreunde Baumberg in their first friendly ahead of the 2026/27 season. A brace from debutant Afonso Moreira (19', 27') either side of a Christian Kofane strike (23') put the Werkself 3-0 up in the first of the two 35-minute halves in Monheim am Rhein. After the break, Victor Boniface (49', 53'), Robert Andrich (56') and Nathan Tella (67') scored for the completely changed Leverkusen team. It was therefore a successful friendly debut for new head coach Carles Martínez and his team, although the hosts also had something to celebrate despite the defeat: the match marked the inauguration of Baumberg's new ground, the MEGA Stadion.
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Attention, Werkself fans: the new Away Matchday Collection is now available from the Bayer 04 online shop and the Fanwelt. It includes t-shirts, zip tops and jackets.
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Season tickets for the Werkself home matches in the new Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga season are now on general sale. The season ticket is valid for all 13 matches at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. The first home match will be played between 28 and 31 August against the runners-up, VfL Wolfsburg, followed by the clash with the German champions, Bayern Munich, between 11 and 14 September.
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A new team, a new environment, a new challenge—and yet one thing remains the same for Afonso Moreira: his attitude. Total dedication, discipline, and the drive to improve every day have defined the Portuguese player since his early days at Sporting CP. “Even back then, I realized I had to work hard to achieve my goals,” said the 21-year-old. His parents also instilled those values in him from a young age. Values that have driven him ever since, accompanied him to France when he signed for Lyon, and now also form the foundation for his new chapter at Bayer 04. At a media session, the lightning-fast winger spoke about his values, as well as his new teammates, the new coach, and his targets at the club.
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