Today’s training session at the BayArena involved four goalkeepers plus all the players who did not start at Paderborn on Sunday. The players from the starting line-up – except for keeper Lukas Hradecky and Daley Sinkgraven – completed a separate session. The left-back picked up a knock at Paderborn and was therefore given a lighter workload today. In addition to the Dutchman, Charles Aránguiz remains sidelined due to a muscle injury.
The scorers in East Westphalia were Kevin Volland with a brace and Kai Havertz plus another Werkself player not usually associated with scoring goals: Julian Baumgartlinger. The Austrian enforcer has scored 04 goals in 203 Bundesliga games. “Over the course of my career, scoring goals has happened less and less with me playing in more defensive positions,” said the 32-year-old. “But I do get into the box from time to time for set-pieces.”
Perhaps Baumi will carry on where he left off at the Benteler Arena this Sunday night. Fortuna Düsseldorf visit the BayArena (kick-off: 18.00 CET). Leverkusen’s number 15: “The first home game after the winter break is very important to us! We’re expecting to face a very well-organised team. It’s important we continue to do the things we got right at Paderborn.”
Lothar Matthäus believes the second half of the season will see Bayern Munich win the league - and Bayer 04 will not lose a game! The 1990 World Cup winner has predicted the results of all the games in the second half of the season for the top six in the Bundesliga for the Bild Zeitung. The 58-year-old has predicted two draws for the Black and Reds against RB Leipzig and FC Bayern and a 4-2 win against Borussia Dortmund. However, according to the Matthäus rankings, the Werkself will ‘only’ finish fifth on 65 points – two points behind Borussia Mönchengladbach, the first professional club for Lothar Matthäus.
Moreover: An unbeaten run like that, which the TV pundit predicts for the Peter Bosz team, has only been achieved by four clubs in Germany’s top flight. Eintracht Frankfurt (1976/77), Hamburg SV (1982/83) and Borussia Dortmund (2011/12) have managed that feat once. FC Bayern have been unbeaten in three seasons: 1986/87, 2012/13 and 2013/14.
Do you want to support the Werkself in the second leg of the Europa League Round of 32 tie in Porto? Then visit the ticket shop! The exclusive advance sale for Bayer 04 Club members started this morning. Bayer 04 fans who have previously bought tickets can buy tickets for this game from Thursday 23 February. The Werkself are away for the second leg in Portugal on Thursday 27 February (kick-off: 18.55 CET). The first leg at the BayArena is a week earlier on Thursday 20 February at 21.00 CET.
St. Pauli are the visitors to Leverkusen for today’s 3.30pm CET kick-off on Matchday 13 in the Bundesliga, with some 3,000 fans from Hamburg coming to a sold-out BayArena. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game in our matchday news.
Show moreBayer 04 take on St. Pauli in the Bundesliga for the first time in 13 years in front of a sold-out BayArena crowd on Saturday (kick-off: 3.30pm CET). Ahead of the game, head coach Xabi Alonso spoke about Pauli’s “structure and dynamic”, as well as options in attack in the absence of Patrik Schick and the final run to the end of the year.
Show moreFor the first time in 13 years, Bayer 04 welcome St. Pauli to the BayArena this Saturday (kick-off: 3.30pm CET). The promoted side have shown so far that that are a tough nut to crack, while last week’s first home win of the season proves they have potential in attack. Here’s all you need to know about our next opponents.
Show moreBayer 04 Women produced an excellent performance to beat Wolfsburg 1-0 at home on Friday night and knock the She-Wolves off top spot in the Google Pixel Bundesliga as the season reached its halfway stage. Cornelia Kramer got the only goal early in the second half in front of a crowd of 1,510 at the Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion. The result makes it five straight wins in all competitions for Leverkusen, who go top overnight on 26 points – the best total in the club’s history from the first half of a Bundesliga season – ahead of the DFB Pokal holders with 25.
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