The Bayer 04 schedule for April

Werkself: Staying hot on Bayern's heels in the league

Sporting managing director Simon Rolfes stressed after the cup defeat in Bielefeld: "We'll now work even harder so we're ready if we get the chance to win the Bundesliga." And captain Lukas Hradecky stressed after the semi-final: "Anger and disappointment are emotions that can and must be turned into good energy." With that energy, the team now head into the Bundesliga run-in, where they currently trail league leaders Bayern Munich by six points with 21 points still up for grabs.

The Werkself play the first of their seven remaining league games this Saturday, 5 April (kick-off: 15.30 CEST), at 1. FC Heidenheim 1846. Every league game in April at a glance:

• Sat. 5 April (15.30 CEST): 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 - Bayer 04
• Sat. 12 April (15.30 CEST): Bayer 04 - 1. FC Union Berlin
• Sun. 20 April (19.30 CEST): FC St. Pauli - Bayer 04
• Sat. 26 April (15.30 CEST): Bayer 04 - FC Augsburg

Monday 14 April also marks the first anniversary of the day on which the Werkself clinched the first German championship in Bayer 04's history in impressive fashion last year. On that date, the Black and Red championship celebrations began with a 5-0 home win against SV Werder Bremen - "German champions SVB!"

Women: Home derby in most successful Bundesliga season

Bayer 04 Women have two of their four remaining Bundesliga matchdays in April. With a haul of 36 points, it's already clear that coach Roberto Pätzold's side are enjoying their best Bundesliga season in the club's history. If they're going to be able to attack the top three in the run-in, the Werkself must pick up more wins.

First, Leverkusen Women face 1. FC Köln in a derby at the Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion on Monday, 14 April (kick-off: 18:00 CEST) to wrap up Matchday 19 (get your tickets!). Just under two weeks later, the team then travel to bottom-of-the-table 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam. On Friday 25 April (kick-off: 18.30 CEST) at the Karl-Liebknecht-Stadion, they'll be looking to pick up another three important points.

• Mon. 14 April (18:00 CEST): Bayer 04 Women - 1. FC Köln
• Fri. 25 April (18.30 CEST): 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam - Bayer 04 Women

U19s: Round of 16 in the German championship

Thanks to a convincing last-minute win in the top match against VfL Bochum 1848, the U19s are guaranteed a place in the knockout phase of the battle for the German championship. The top four teams in each group advance to the round of 16. Leverkusen can only lose out on a place in the top two of main round Group C in the DFB Youth League if they lose two of their own matches and Eintracht Frankfurt, who are currently in second place, win twice.

Should Bayer 04 finish first or second, the round of 16 (without a second leg) would take place on the weekend of 26/27 April in Leverkusen. Possible opponents from group D are Leipzig, Karlsruhe, Dortmund, Mainz and Unterhaching. In this case, the final in mid-May would also be played in Leverkusen, provided the Black & Reds are represented in it.

• Sun. 6 April (11:00 CEST): TSG Hoffenheim - U19s (main round of the DFB Youth League)
• Wed. 9 April (13:00 CEST): U19s - Eintracht Frankfurt (main round of the DFB Youth League)
• Wed. 16 April (13:00 CEST): 1. FC Köln - U19s (quarter-finals of the Association Cup)
• Sat. 26/Sun. 27 April: German Championship round of 16

#B04eSports: Things heat up in the German Individual Championship

After narrowly losing the final of the German Club Championship, the Bayer 04 eSports players will compete in the German Individual Championship in April. The first step on the way to the title for the #B04eSportsmen including Sean and Marc Landwehr and Markus Hüttemann is a successful performance at the VBL Grand Open by WOW on 5 and 6 April.

Were they to succeed, the Leverkusen team would move on to the Group Stage of the VBL Grand Final by WOW from 15 to 17 April. The finals of the championship would then be on 26 and 27 April.

• Sat. 5 & Sun. 6 April: VBL Open by WOW
• Tue. 15 to Thu. 17 April: VBL Grand Final by WOW - Group Stage
• Sat. 26 & Sun. 27 April: VBL Grand Final by WOW - Finals

Bayer Giants: Play-offs for third division title

With two matchdays to go, the Bayer Giants basketball team are already in first place in the ProB Nord (3rd division), so the Bayer basketball players will take part in the play-offs for the championship. These start with the round of 16, in which game 1 will be played on Saturday, 19 April, in the Ostermann Arena in Leverkusen. The round of 16 will be played in a best-of-three format.

• Sat. 12 April (20:00 CEST): Bayer Giants - ETB Miners Essen (last main round game)
• Sat. 19 April: First round of 16 game (Leverkusen)
• Fri. 25 April: Second round of 16 game (away)
• (Sun. 27 April: Third round of 16 game (Leverkusen)