The Black and Reds go into 2019 still in three competitions for the first time in three years. At the end of the year, we look back at the stats and facts from the first half of the season:
The Werkself have really got stuck in as the year draws to an end. In the last six Bundesliga fixtures, the Werkself have picked up 13 points, which is more than the eleven earned in the first eleven games of the season – only Bayern Munich, Wolfsburg (16 each) and Borussia Dortmund (15) have been more successful in the league recently. And the Werkself have once again shown that the BayArena can be a fortress for the Black and Reds: The last three home games ended in victory. The last time that happened was in May two years ago.
On the last matchday of the first half of the season, Bayer 04 secured a 3-1 victory over Hertha Berlin to move up to eighth place – just one goal worse off than the team from Berlin on the same points. Nevertheless, Kevin Volland, Kai Havertz and co. have made an historic achievement: The Werkself have finished in the top half of the German top flight after the first half of the season for 13 campaigns in succession – of all rival clubs across the country, only record champions Bayern Munich can look back at a longer run. It's even more impressive that such consistency has been achieved by just two clubs: FC Bayern, in the top half of the winter break this term for the 27th time in succession, and Bayer 04 (17 seasons; between 1985 and 2001).
In the first half of the season Werkself supporters have been able to celebrate a total of 47 goals: six of them in the DFB Cup, 15 in the Europa League and 26 in the Bundesliga – matching the position in the table, the ninth best return. The goals have been scored by 15 different players – that's already more than in the past two (half) seasons. Across all competitions, the Black and Red goalscorers lists is as follows: Kai Havertz (9 goals), Karim Bellarabi (8), Kevin Volland, Lucas Alario (bpth 7), Julian Brandt (3), Aleksandar Dragovic, Tin Jedvaj, Dominik Kohr, Mitchell Weiser (all on 2), Leon Bailey, Lars Bender, Julian Brandt, Jonathan Tah, Isaac Kiese Thelin, Paulinho and Wendell (all on 1). The providers were Brandt, Havertz, Volland (all on 6), Bailey (5), Bellarabi, Lars Bender, Kohr, Weiser (all on 3), Alario, Charles Aránguiz (both 2) plus Sven Bender, Dragovic, Kiese Thelin and Wendell (all on 1).
There is no question that the first half of the season has run like clockwork for Kai Havertz: Goals, assists, his debut for Germany and non-stop gushing praise. But the 19-year-old has absolutely deserved the accolades due to his outstanding performances. It is no coincidence, Heiko Herrlich rarely left out the Werkself number 29: With 1,943 minutes on the pitch he leads the Black and Red top three – ahead of Wendell (1,813) and Lukas Hradecky (1,800). The least time spent on the pitch by a member of the first team squad was the eight minutes for the Poland U20 international Jukub Bednarczyk in the final group match in the Europa League.I
The biggest win for the Werkself came on matchday nine with a 6-2 victory away to Werder Bremen – it was also the first and last time six goals were scored in a league fixture under Heiko Herrlich. The biggest defeat for the Werkself came a week later – with a 4-1 reverse at home to TSG Hoffenheim on matchday ten.
The new eSports season is just around the corner. The VBL Club Championship by WOW starts on Thursday 15 October (from 18:00 CEST). And, as every year, here’s an overview: What changes are there? What is staying the same?
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Bayer 04 record-appearance maker Rüdiger Vollborn invites you to another evening in the popular ‘Rudi lädt ein’ series: on Tuesday 10 November, in collaboration with Bayer AG, the focus will be on the Nazi period. The focus will be on football, Bayer 04 and the city of Leverkusen.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen has secured a new network partner in Extreme Networks GmbH. The leading provider of AI-powered network automation has agreed a five-year partnership with the Bundesliga club, running until 30 June 2031. As part of this, the club’s existing Wi-Fi 5 infrastructure will be replaced by more than 400 Wi-Fi 7 access points, which are specifically designed to meet the requirements of a stadium with a high user density. The aim is to enhance the fan experience while optimising operational processes and security.
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New signing Miguel Gutiérrez has made a good start at Leverkusen and has promptly earned a nomination for Player of the Month in his first few weeks in the Bundesliga. He has scored one goal and provided three assists in four league games. The Spanish left-back has also brought some impressive stats with him to Bayer 04. Issue #56 of the Werkself magazine has taken a look at these figures. ‘Facts & Fun’ with Miguel Gutiérrez.
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With seven points, Mainz 05 are currently joint seventh, level on points with sixth-placed Bayer 04. In today’s head-to-head clash (kick-off: 15:30 CEST), the Werkself must be particularly wary of the clinical Mainz strike duo. For Leverkusen fans who have left it to the last minute, there are still a few tickets available from the matchday ticket office. Those following the Black and Reds from home, on the other hand, have a choice: RTL is broadcasting the match on free-to-air TV, and Werkself Radio is also offering the expert commentary of former Bayer 04 player Falko Götz. Today’s matchday news.
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