
Back again! The Black and Reds are back in the Champions League after two seasons in the Europa League. As one of four German clubs – Eintracht Frankfurt can qualify by winning in the final of the Europa League – Bayer 04 compete in the 68th season of the competition that starts with first qualifiers on 21 June and finishes with the final in Istanbul on 10 June 2023.
The Werkself have qualified for the group stages and thereby avoid the play-offs. The three opponents Bayer 04 will face in the group stage will be decided at the draw of the groups on 25 August.
National champions like Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain will be in pot 1. Borussia Dortmund are also certain of qualifying after finishing second in the Bundesliga. The Werkself will be in pot 2, 3 or 4. That will de determined according to UEFA’s five-year assessment of the club coefficient in 2021/22.
Champions League games are traditionally played on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. The dates for the group games are as follows:
Matchday 1: 6/7 September 2022
Matchday 2: 13/14 September 2022
Matchday 3: 4/5 October 2022
Matchday 4: 11/12 October 2022
Matchday 5: 25/26 October 2022
Matchday 6: 1/2 November 2022
If Bayer 04 finish first or second in their group, the Werkself will be through to the knockout rounds for the eighth time in the thirteenth campaign in the Champions League.
The Round of 16 will be drawn on 7 November and played between the middle of February and the middle of March next year. The quarter-finals are in the middle of April and the semi-finals in the middle of May. The final at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium is, as previously mentioned, is to be played on 10 June 2023.
Bayer 04 have made the third highest number of appearances in the Champions League (12) for a Bundesliga club behind Bayern Munich (25) and Borussia Dortmund (16). RB Leipzig have been in the Champions League four times and Borussia Mönchengladbach plus VfL Wolfsburg three times each.

The Bayer 04 Women clcoked up a 3-2 win in a friendly against Twente Enschede on Thursday afternoon in the last international break of 2025. In drizzle, Lilla Turanyi (16’), Kristin Kögel (65’) and Paulina Bartz (69’) scored the goals for the Werkself against the Dutch Eredivisie Vrouwen leaders, who are still unbeaten in the league.
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The annual Black and Red Week is up and running. Day three, Thursday 27 November, includes non-kit supplier merchandise...
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Werkself TV shows highlights of the 2-0 win for Bayer 04 at Manchester City on matchday 5 in the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 league phase...
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A total of nine Leverkusen Women players will be on international duty during the last international break in 2025. While three players return to the Germany squad, another is set to make her international debut for Austria. However, Germany will have to manage without Carlotta Wamser in the final of the UEFA Women's Nations League.
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